


X-Men: Apocalypse

by RogersBz14



Series: Us Against the World [1]
Category: X-Men (Movies), X-Men: Apocalypse (2016) - Fandom, X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014) - Fandom, X-Men: First Class (2011) - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Father-Son Relationship, Gen, Hurt Erik Lensherr, Hurt Peter Maximoff, Hurt/Comfort, Major Character Injury, Poor Erik, Teamwork, Temporary Character Death, Violence, Whump, X-Men Cameos, dadneto, helps to have read the comics, what I wish would happen, you'll see some familiar faces
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-29
Updated: 2016-05-12
Packaged: 2018-03-20 07:01:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 44
Words: 142,944
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3641103
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RogersBz14/pseuds/RogersBz14
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ten years after the Sentinel program was shut down, Charles and Erik find themselves reunited (once again) under the threat of their most powerful enemy yet: Apocalypse. United by losses and hatred, the duo recruit old and new allies alike to fight alongside them in a battle that could result in a catastrophic end to the world.</p><p>As Apocalypse evolves, Erik and Charles are unexpectedly forced to confront their pasts, revealing sides of them they never knew or wished existed.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue/Preview

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all :0)
> 
> So, I've had this story in my head for an EXTREMELY long time! Basically, around the time when I heard that Quicksilver was going to be in X-Men: Days of Future Past. I love Michael Fassbender and Evan Peters and when I heard that they were going to be in the movie together, I freaked out!!  
> As I said, I've been wanting to write this and I thought I might as well write a tiny piece of it down before I go insane! This is a Pietro and Erik-centered story and will focus on their relationship, as well as the relationship between Erik and Charles. But don't worry, Apocalypse and the four horsemen will be featured a lot in the story as well :D
> 
> This is a preview!!! Depending on what people think about it, I may or may not continue it!!! I'm also in college, so that slows the updates a little bit lol
> 
> Warning: Grammatical/Spelling errors and possibly slight OOC-ness!
> 
> I hope you all enjoy!

**(July 10, 1983. 8:00PM)  
** The Xavier mansion: a once beautiful and extravagant haven for mutants of all kind, now a grave and solemn refugee. The once energetic and lively halls were now dark and filled with silence, moonlight being the only source of any kind of light. Inside a large guest room were a group of mutants, each one of them with their own stories and losses. They all sat around a barely alive fireplace in silence, each one of them lost in their own thoughts. Some of the mutants were old friends of Charles Xavier: Alex Summers, Hank McCoy to name a couple. New faces like Scott Summers, apparent brother of Alex’s, Ororo Munroe, and Jean Grey (their latest recruit), were just some of the many mutants Xavier and his old group of friends found throughout the past year. While the silence in the room would’ve been heard around the world, Charles Xavier’s world was full of voices...voices of defeat, humiliation, sorrow, and grief. He could hear every thought the young mutants were thinking, and almost all of them broke his heart. However, the loudest voice he heard was coming from an old friend of his who was sitting in a medical lab, next to a dead body, a couple of doors down. Out of all of the voices Charles heard, Erik Lehnsherr’s voice was the loudest and filled with the most grief. Charles tore his eyes away from the group of mutants and turned his head to the closed doors that would lead to where his friend was sitting.

Down the hallway was a large medical room used mostly by Hank McCoy. The dark room contained all kinds of things: tools and gadgets more advanced than what the 80’s currently had to offer, a medical table dripping with blood, the corpse of a young mutant, and a broken Erik Lehnsherr. Erik was sitting in a hard, metal stool that was placed right next to the medical table that held the cold and lifeless body of his son, Pietro Maximoff. He slowly turned his head to the side and, for the tenth time this past hour, scanned over his son’s wounds.

The former fast-talking and moving mutant was covered in dry and fresh blood. He had deep stab wounds right in the center of his stomach that stretched upwards. Three **deep** slash wounds on his chest that dragged from his rib cage to his left hip, just barely missing the mutant's heart, also coated the poor soul's body. His back also had three slash wounds, just as deep and deadly, that ran from his right shoulder to the back of his left hip. Both wounds were parallel from each other and left nasty lacerations on the front and back of him. Blood caked his neck, his usually silver hair, and entire upper body. His eyes were closed, hiding his dark brown eyes, and there was no rhythmic rise and fall of his chest. Pietro was so still... too still. His now limp, ice cold hand was slowly lifted up and placed firmly between the warm and calloused hands of his father.

Now holding his son’s hand between his own, Erik sat in silence and closed his eyes, reflecting on the events that led up to where he was today. His mind always came back to a single, heart-rendering thought: everything was his fault. Throughout the past couple of months, Erik’s emotional state has been put to the test...and now it seemed like he was about to break down and fall. Everyone he’s ever loved was now gone. The only person in his life left that he truly cared about was Charles Xavier, but even the professor himself wouldn’t be able to fill in this now empty hole inside his already defeated heart. And while traces of rage still remained in his body, the main emotion he (as well as Charles) could feel was grief. The images of Raven's completely yellow-covered eyes staring emotionlessly back at him, his bleeding and barely conscious son propped against an old wall, and the looks of grief Charles, as well as the other young mutants, gave him appeared right before his eyes. He unconsciously tightened his grip on his son's hand.

‘ _Bloody hell_ ,’ he silently cried, ‘ _how did this all happen? How could this all happen_?!'

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't worry, this preview actually doesn't spoil that much of the story! The main storyline I have is much deeper and will feature a lot of old (as well as new) faces ;)
> 
> But, if you all don't like this preview/where the story is heading, then I will just stop :)
> 
> Questions/Comments/Concerns/Insults/Thoughts of love?? Please let me know and write them down :0) I enjoy reading comments and feedback! They always help improve my writing.
> 
> Take Care and Party Hard :0)


	2. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all :0)
> 
> Here is another chapter for this story! I should mention that I changed the cannon in the films!! The little girl sitting on Peter's lap in DOFP never existed in my story, and Lorna is an infant!! I also got the dates mixed up and will update them as soon as possible.  
> Unlike my preview, this chapter has much more detail and descriptions of emotional states, environments, and events taking place. I'll try to add historical events/people in my story (and make sure it's all accurate) just so you all get a sense of the time this story is taking place!
> 
> Warning: Grammatical/Spelling errors and possibly slight OOC-ness!
> 
> I hope you enjoy!!!

_**(Flashback: 4 Months Ago)** _

**(March 4, 1983. 12:10 PM)  
** It was official: Peter Maximoff has the most awesome and completely fucked up life.

About ten years ago, he was just an ordinary kid who moved faster than a bullet, ran up walls, and shoplifted almost every other day. Normal kid stuff, right? He never really considered himself THAT different from his friends and other family members, and by members I mean just his mom. His mom had gotten used to his superhuman abilities and seemed to adapt around him: sure a cop or ten would appear on her doorstep every week, but it didn’t seem to bother her that much. Throughout his teenage life, his mother’s response went from, “Oh my god, is he okay?!” to “What has he done now?” That was the main reason he loved her: she accepted him and loved him. It was her treatment towards him that made him feel...normal. He always felt normal and never really considered who he was a serious threat to humans. Then he was recruited by Druggy the Drugged-Up Hipster, Poindexter, and the Wolfman in order to break some shifty bastard, who killed John F. Kennedy, out of the Pentagon. Sure, it was extremely fun: not only did he get to put his powers to actual use --while being a complete badass --, he also got a sweet (and stolen) car! He didn’t lose a wink of sleep that night and felt like he got away scot-free. Then a mutant, who just happened to be the one he broke out of the Pentagon, had to make a speech in front of the entire world claiming that the times of mutants had begun. That one globally broadcasted speech shook his world ever since.  
The rapport he had with friends he’s known since elementary school was now gone: most of them now resented him and turned their backs on him. He never used his powers in school (unless he was extremely tempted), yet his classmates and friends seemed to figure out that he was different than most humans. Although his fast-moving mind couldn't find the motivation to care or preserve educational, academic lessons, he was able to find solutions to difficult situations faster than any of his friends and classmates had ever seen. They knew he was different, and they thought it was for the better. However, once the events at the White House took place, they now resented him. The situation at home was even worse. His mom seemed to be more distant from him than she’s ever been: the silence around the house was louder than a bomb, and they could never be in the same room for more than a few minutes, even when Peter wanted his mom to stay longer. For the first time in his entire life, Peter Maximoff felt alone...and hurt. He spent the past eight years more isolated from his friends and family, and focused more on how to survive alone. When he graduated high school, he moved to a small apartment just outside of his hometown, and stayed under the radar. He would continue to shoplift and steal for survival (and pleasure), as well as stay in touch with his remaining three friends and mother. He seemed to get the hang of surviving on his own and living to the fullest: while being alone, he learned how to control his powers more effectively, as well as move faster than he ever has been before. He could now move faster than the speed of sound, which was a huge improvement from moving faster than a bullet. Then last year, his mother informed him that she had given birth to a little girl she named Lorna. The birth of his little sister seemed to set something off in Peter: he felt much more protective and selfless. This past year, he constantly visited his baby sister to make sure she was happy. He would steal baby supplies and toys that he believed would keep her happy and comfortable. The time he spent with Lorna also healed his strained relationship with his mother: they began to feel like a family again. Together, they took care of Lorna and forgot all about the act of terrorism nine years ago that nearly shattered their worlds’ forever.

Now, ten years after the White House incident, Peter has created a system that allowed him to see Lorna almost everyday, as well as provide him with his own independent life. Peter felt like his life was finally getting back on track and he prayed that everything would stay the same until he decided to leave Washington. Peter was sitting at a desk in his apartment, inhaling three twinkies in less than thirty seconds, when he heard his phone ringing. He ran to the phone and picked it up.  
“Yeah?”  
“Peter, you need to come home NOW!”  
“Mom?” His voice changed from boredom to concern. “What’s going on?”  
“Peter please, you need to come home!”  
“I'll be there in a couple of seconds. Just make sure you and Lorna are somewhere safe!”  
He grabbed his grey jacket, goggles, as well as apartment keys, and was out of his place before the phone hit the hook.

In less than twenty seconds, he arrived at the front of his former home. The thing that caught his eye was a red 1977 impala parked right next to his mom’s 1980 brown and white station wagon. He quickly scanned the outside of the house and was relieved to find no signs of forced entry or destruction. Taking it slow for once, he walked to the front door and quietly opened it, smiling down at the old welcome mat that still held traces of his crazy antics. As soon as he was in his former home, he shut the door and ran up to Lorna’s nursery. He quickly made his way to his sister’s side and was extremely relieved to see her healthy and fine. She pulled her curious, wide eyes away from her feet and brought them to Peter. As soon as she made eye contact with her older brother, she began to coo with excitement and joy. Peter brought his hand down and slowly stroked her chubby cheek.  
“Hey Lorna” he warmly said. “It's me! I hope you’re raising hell around here.”  
Lorna cooed again and extended her small arms towards him. He removed the hand that was stroking her cheek and let his baby sister wrap a tiny hand around his index finger. As Lorna began to suck on his fingertip, Peter turned his head around and inspected the nursery in order to make sure that the intruder wasn’t hiding somewhere. To be fair, unless the intruder was wearing bright green colors in order to match the color of the nursery, there was no way they would be able to blend in. Once he was sure that the room was empty, he gently removed his finger from Lorna’s mouth, grabbed her favorite purple bunny, and tucked it tightly to her side. His heart melted when he saw Lorna turn her body to face the bunny, wrap her tiny arms around it, and shove her thumb into her mouth. Happy that she was okay, he left the room and shut the door behind him. He was about to inspect his mother’s room when he heard two voices where the kitchen was: one of them definitely belonged to his mom, while the other’s sounded...familiar. The voice belonged to a British male who possessed pride and dignity. Then again, all British people sounded like that. Peter quickly ran down the flight of stairs and felt his blood go cold.

In the kitchen, he saw his mother standing a couple of inches away from the mutant --no, monster-- that nearly destroyed his world. The mutant who completely exposed the world of mutation, and who turned almost all mutants into enemies of humans, was standing next to his mother. Peter quickly took in the dark blue jeans, black t-shirt, and dark red-orange leather jacket. The last time he saw the bastard, he was wearing full body armor, a goofy-looking cape, and a dark purple helmet that covered his short ginger hair. Looking at this clean mutant almost infuriated Peter. He ran up to the mutant and grabbed him by the collar of the leather jacket, forcing him away from his mom. He slammed the older mutant into the white wall, not caring that he created a small dent in the originally clean wall.  
“What the hell are you doing here?” His voice was low and dangerous, hiding the confusion he actually felt.  
“Pleased to see you too” the mutant replied nonchalantly.  
“Peter,” his mom interrupted, “just calm down and-”  
"Did you hurt her!?"  
"No" the mutant calmly replied.  
“Then why the hell are yo-" He now addressed his mother, his eyes never leaving the male mutant. "Oh god, Mom. Please tell me you and him aren’t...you know.”  
“Peter-” she tried to begin.  
“I mean, I knew you had low standards, but you’re really scraping from the bottom of the barrel.”  
“Peter-”  
“Then again, I guess you improved your standards. I mean, sure this monster,” he continued, shaking the mutant’s collar in the process, “isn’t the smartest man you've dated. After all, he DID kill John F. Kennedy. Let’s not forget that he nearly killed Nixon, although that wouldn’t have been that big of a loss considering how big of a dick he turned out to be...wait, where was I going with this? Oh yeah! At least this man isn’t a Ward Beaver kind of man...I’d say he’s more of a David Berkowitz kind of-”  
“Pietro Maximoff,” a mutant interrupted, “will you let your mother talk?!”  
Peter turned his focus back to the man pinned against the wall. “Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t drop your sorry ass off of the tallest cliff in Washington. Because believe me, I could get you there in less than a minute. After all, you know how fast I can run.”  
“Peter, he’s here for **you**!”  
Peter briefly turned his head to look at his mom, looking at her with confusion, before turning back to the British man. “Let me guess: you got yourself into some kind of deep shit, **again** , and need my help. Sorry man, after the shit you pulled at the White House, I’m not interested. In fact, why don’t we take a trip to the police station!! I’m pretty sure they’ll want your ass on a plaque and-”  
“ **He’s your** **father** , **Peter**.”

At that moment, everything around Peter seemed to stop completely. His vision tunneled and he could only see the blue eyes that belonged to this monster, who just happened to be staring back at him. The sound of water dripping from the sink, birds chirping outside, and wind lightly tapping the window behind the sink seemed to fade away. The only thing he could now hear were his erratic heartbeats. 

“W-What?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted Peter to be more darker in this story than he was in the film. After all, Erik's speech did almost ruin his life, so he would become more bitter. Plus, he now has a baby sister to protect, so his guard is up a lot more. But I still want to make sure he has humor!! After all, that is who he is :D
> 
> The next couple of chapters will have more things going on, feature other characters, and hopefully introduce the main plot of the movie: Apocalypse and the Four Horsemen!  
> Questions/Comments/Concerns/Insults/Thoughts of love??? Feel free to write em' all down :D
> 
> Take Care and Party Hard :0)


	3. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all :0)
> 
> Here is another chapter! I may update it to correct spelling errors, grammatical errors, etc. Like I said, Lorna is around one in this chapter and the little girl who sat in Peter's lap in DOFP does NOT exist :) I changed the cannon a little bit ;)
> 
> Warning: Grammatical/Spelling errors and possibly slight OOC-ness!!!
> 
> I hope you enjoy!!

“I’m yo-”  
“I wasn’t asking you,” Pietro snapped at the elder mutant. “Mom...what are you talking about?”  
Marya, his mom, looked extremely hesitant to answer his question, but after a couple of beats, she took a deep breath and responded.  
“During the 50s, I was taking a trip around Transia, Europe with a small group of friends. It was there where I met him,” she continued as she pointed at the older mutant. “We spent an entire day just talking in a bar, exchanging stories and adventures, and then the next thing I know, we’re-”  
“Yeah, I think you can skip that part,” Pietro said, closing his eyes at the thought of his mother having a one night stand with the mutant. “So what happened next?”  
“Then I left her,” the mutant replied calmly.  
“Figured out that one, Sherlock. Why did you leave her?”  
“I had important business I needed to take care of.”  
“Which was?”  
“That’s none of your concern."  
“Actually is it. You left my mom, and eventually me, all because of some business issue? Congratulations sir, you are officially one of the biggest assholes I’ve ever met!”  
The British mutant’s face now darkened, as did his voice. “If you knew what I’d been through before I met your mother, you would understand why I left her. You would understand why I did what I did ten years ago. And you would understand why I’m here now.”  
“Erik,” Marya said, “you need to calm down.”  
‘ _Erik,_ ’ Pietro thought, repeating the name in his head as if it were a chant. ‘ _Erik, the mutant who single-handedly sealed the fates of his own kind. Erik, the man who abandoned his mother. Erik, the monster who almost ruined his entire life_.’

Peter was so lost in his thoughts that he hadn’t noticed Erik forcefully removing his hands off of the leather trenchcoat. It was only when Peter snapped back into reality when he noticed almost all of the metal items in the house --forks, knives, spoons, pots, pans, and more -- were levitating in the air and shaking. For a second, Peter was confused as hell as to what was causing all of the metal objects to rise in the air. But as he turned his head to his *gulp* father, he noticed that Erik’s eyes were closed and that he was trying to control his breathing: as Erik calmed down, so did the floating metal.  
‘ _Can’t lie,_ ’ Pietro silently thought, ‘ _that’s a pretty sweet power._ ’  
After a few moments, all of the metal finally lowered back into their original positions, not that gracefully I should add. Once Erik was calm, he looked back at his son and tried to approach him. Peter, on the other hand, backed away from his father out of slight fear, but mostly pure anger and hurt. What the hell was more important than his own family? Than his own son? After a couple of silent moments, Erik took a deep breath and continued.

“The reason I’m here is because we need your help.”  
“What else is new?”   
“So I'll assume you’ve been completely oblivious with what’s going on in our world, hmm?” After taking a deep breath, Erik pressed on. “Recently, there have been terrorist attacks in major cities like Boston, New York, London, and-”  
“What does this have to do with me?”  
“Patience, Pietro.”  
“It’s Pe-”  
“These attacks haven’t been directed towards homosapiens. Mutants have been dropping like flies for the past several days, and cities have been destroyed in order to track, destroy, or capture them.”  
“Jeez, a group of humans targeting mutants after your grand speech about this being the time of mutants? I never would’ve guessed that-”  
“Humans aren’t responsible for these attacks! An old friend of mine and I believe that a mutant is responsible for all of the damage.”  
“A mutant?” That caught Peter’s attention. “I didn’t think there was a mutant that powerful enough.”  
“Neither did we. But there is and we need your help stopping it.”  
“So let me get this straight, you want me to just abandon a life I’ve worked too hard to get back on track for you and some anonymous stranger? Boy, and I thought **_I_** was a slow learner.”  
“What are you-”  
“I’m not going to pull what you pulled on me!” Peter angrily shouted. “I’m not going to abandon my family just like that! I’m not like you and I don’t plan on ever being like you. So just count me out, man.”  
Peter was about to run back to his little sister when he heard Erik point something out. “Your family is in danger, Peter. This mutant has a record of eliminating mutants and everyone they hold dear.” Peter slowly looked up at Erik, allowing the mutant to continue. “That’s the reason your mom called you. She wanted you here so I could explain the situation and recruit you for our purposes.”  
“...Which are?”  
“You are the fastest mutant we’ve ever met, and that could save a lot of lives. You would come to the Xavier mansion located outside of Westchester, New York, and stay with me and a couple of other mutants for a few weeks. We want to try to save as many mutants as we can while figuring out how to stop the main mutant.”  
“And you want me to just leave my mom and baby sister? Look man,” he began, as he swiftly moved in front of Erik “it may have been easy for you to drop everything and everyone, but like I said, I’m not like you. I actually give a shit about my family and-”  
“Their lives are in greater danger if you stay here! Your gifts are unique and there are bound to be mutants, as well as humans, who would love to get their hands on you to harness your powers. For all I know, the mutant is absorbing it’s victim’s powers to become a supreme mutant. The only consistent and recurring theme that we observed is this: the mutant is ruthless and is willing to kill whoever stands in their way...including the families of the mutants.”  
Peter tore his eyes away from Erik’s and looked at his mother.  
He was completely torn: why the hell should he trust the mutant who caused so much hate and pain in this world, especially his own? He worked too hard to put his life back on track and now that he has a baby sister to look after, it was even harder to leave. That said, if Erik was correct, his presence could potentially put his mother and baby sister’s well-being at risk. Honestly, not only did he want to keep his family safe, he also wanted to go on an adventure. Sure, he could’ve asked for a better traveling buddy, but it would be nice to get out of Washington and put his enhanced powers to use. Taking a deep breath, he looked at Erik and nodded.  
“Give me a couple of seconds..”

Before Erik could respond Peter ran out of the house and back to his apartment. He quickly grabbed handfuls of clothes, a couple of snacks, and his headphones that were linked to his tape player, and shoved them into a brown backpack. He stopped at his door and looked back at his apartment one last time. He sighed as memories during his time living here flashed before his eyes. He briefly smiled to himself before closing and locking the door, and running back to his former home.   
  
In a few seconds, he was standing face-to-face with Erik, who jumped back in shock at the sudden return. “If I go with you, I need you to promise me four things.”  
“Uhh-”  
“Promise me that you’ll let me use my powers the way I want, that I’ll get to choose the music we listen to in the car, my family will put out of danger, and that you won’t kill anyone.”  
“Pietro, I-”  
“Name’s Peter.”  
“Peter,” Erik said with more annoyance, “I don’t think I’ll be able to promise you the second one. But as for the remaining items on your list, I can promise you those.”   
In order to confirm that he meant what he said, Erik extended his calloused hand outwards, awaiting his son’s hand to meet his in return. Instead of shaking his father’s hand, Peter looked directly into Erik’s blue eyes and stared at him, silently asking him if he was lying. The message must’ve been made clear because Erik suddenly spoke up.  
“I promise you that nothing will happen to your family while you’re gone. You have my word.”  
Peter sighed and quickly shook Erik’s hand, not only wanting to break the physical contact he had with the man who abandoned him and his mother, but also so he could go upstairs and say goodbye to a very special someone.  
“Okay. We’ll go in a minute, but right now I need to say goodbye to someone.”  
For the second time today, Erik found himself responding to a gust of wind rather than a silver-haired young man...or mutant.

Peter was at his sister’s nursery in a second. He dropped his backpack down, speed-walked to her crib, and gently lifted her into his arms. Once she was settled, he walked over to a brown rocking chair at the corner of her room and sat down. There were too many moments in his life where he wished life would move as fast as he moved: everything moved too slow for him, and it frustrated the absolute hell out of him. The only times he was grateful that life moved slower than him were the times when he noticed the little details normal people would usually miss. These details would not only save his ass, but they would also hold some beauty to them...not that he would admit that though. He could see everything when he ran: every bug that flew right past him, every distinct shape water droplets would form as they touched a surface, and every hidden achilles heel. Those details made him stronger and more appreciative of life. Then there were these kinds of moments: the moments where he didn’t need speed to notice and enjoy the small details life had to offer. As he was sitting in the rocking chair, cradling his semi-awake baby sister, he felt like the world slowed down. Hell, every time he was with his baby sister, time would seem to slow down for them...and he would love it. He took in his sister’s supernatural green eyes, strawberry blonde hair, and almost alarming pale cheeks. Unlike his almost black iris, his sister’s eyes were brighter and held much more life and mystery: As creepy as this sounds, he could stare at her eyes forever. He tore his eyes away from Lorna’s and stared out of the window, taking in the street he’d lived on for so many years. Although he loved it here, he was excited to leave the state and go on a road trip...even if his car buddy was a terrorist who not only killed Kennedy, but also declared war on humans. Shuttering at the thought, he looked back down at Lorna and smiled sadly.  
“Hey Lo,” he softly said, "Listen, I’m going away now and probably won’t be back for a while.” He noticed that Lorna’s eyes widened and began to water. “It’ll be okay! Believe me, I wish I didn’t have to leave you and join that asshole downstairs...but I want to keep you safe. I **need** to keep you safe. I promise that I’ll come back for you soon. Until then, just keep raising hell for mom, deal?”  
Lorna’s eyes were still watery and Peter could tell that she was on the verge of crying. Thinking on his feet, he shifted Lorna so that her back was pressed against his stomach and wrapped his long arms around her small frame, one of his hands gently placed on her belly in order to keep her from falling, and the other hand slowly stroking her short hair. He began to rock back and forth in the chair and hum a Romanian lullaby he’s hummed to her since she was born.  
To be completely honest, he had no idea where the lullaby came from or how he knew it. His mom never introduced it to him when he was an infant, and he's never heard it on any radio station. But in the end, the comfort it brought Lorna was all that mattered. His focus back on Lorna, who was starting to fall asleep, he leaned down and placed a light kiss on the top of her head before carrying her back to her crib. Once she was tucked in, her purple bunny secured her chest, he reached down and stroked her cheek one last time.  
“Bye Lorna. I love you.”  
He silently ran over to his bag, picked it up, and ran to the entrance of the door. He stopped and turned around, taking in the green nursery and all of the objects scattered on the floor. He then closed to door and ran downstairs.

He was standing right in front of his father in an instant, once again startling the older mutant.  
“You’ve got to stop doing that,” Erik breathed out.  
“Umm, how about…” He ran to the fridge, opened up a popsicle, and ran back in front of Erik in less than a second. “No.” He was out the door in a blink of an eye.  
“Imbecile,” Erik mumbled.

His attention now was on his ex. He took in her dirty blonde hair, amazing green eyes, and innocent face. She still looked as young and beautiful as she had been nearly thirty years ago. He didn’t know what to say now that they were alone. ‘Goodbye? Sorry I left you alone after that one night? Nice hair?’ He was broken out of the list of possibly responses by Marya.  
“Now that you promised Peter a bunch of things you have zero control over, I need you to promise me this and actually mean it. Cause if you break this promise, I’ll hunt your ass down.” Erik nodded. “Promise me that you’ll look out for him and try to bond with him.”  
“Why kind of unconventional request is-”  
“He’s hurting. Not only does his father enter his life after nearly ruining it, said father also throws him a curveball that basically traps him in a corner. Please promise me you’ll get to know him better and try to get along. You may not like him, and he definitely doesn’t like you at the moment, but you two could end up doing a lot of great things together -- things you’ve never gotten the chance to do. Okay?”  
Erik swallowed and nodded. “I promise.” After a brief pause, Erik had to release the thing on his chest. “I’ve missed you so much, and I’m sorry if I hurt you when I left. I had to protect you-”  
“Protect me from what?” Marya asked with slight desperation.  
After all of these years apart, she's hasn't received an honest and non-cryptic explanation as to why Erik left her so many years ago. She couldn’t lie: she loved him, and still does. Sure, she recently gave birth to a new girl that didn’t belong to Erik, but she still thought about him whenever she looked at her son’s face. She's missed Erik...and it killed her that he had to go. He was now leaving with her -- no, their -- child. She noticed Erik slowly approaching her, his eyes filled with warmth, regret, and love. Standing in front of each other, he sighed and met her curious gaze.  
“It’s too complicated,” he admitted with complete honesty. “The events that happened after I left you only complicated my whereabouts. My intentions were to come back to you, but life just got in the way.” Marya smiled sadly, trying to understand what had happened so many years ago. “He’ll be safe with me,” Erik promised with sincerity. “You have my word.”  
Before the pair could exchange any more words, a loud and constant honking came from outside. “Come on, old man! Get the lead out of your ass!”  
Erik reached into his pocket to see if his keys were still in there -- of course they weren’t. He sighed with annoyance.  
“Come on Erik! Hurry up before I drive to Westchester myself!”  
Erik looked back at Peter’s mother. “Are you sure I have to try to bond with him?” His response was a smirk from the woman. “Alright alright.”  
“Tell Peter that I love him."  
“I will,” Erik replied.  
He placed a light kiss on her forehead before exiting the house, instantly wishing that he could stay, catch up with her, and explain what happened the night after their stand. Before he completely left the house, he asked on last thing.  
"Peter? Really? The name lacks grace, dignity, and individuality."  
"What would've you named him?"  
Erik shrugs his shoulders. "Pietro."  
With that, he shut the door behind him.

Erik walked up to the driver’s seat and opened the door. “I’m driving.”  
“Says who?”  
“Says the mutant who wants to get to New York in one piece.”  
“By the time we get to New York, the ‘Supreme Mutant’ would’ve already destroyed the world.” Erik glared at his son. “Ugh, alright fine.”  
Within a second, Peter is sitting in the passenger's seat with his legs propped up on the dashboard. Sighing, Erik got into the car, turned on the engine, and began to drive away from the home.

As the car drifted away, Peter swore that he could hear Lorna crying in fear and heartbreak inside her nursery. The thought almost brought him to tears as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I swear, after the next two chapters things will pick up :D  
> Questions/Comments/Concerns/Insults/Thoughts of love?? Please feel free to write them down :) Every comment helps me either feel better or improve my writing skills!!!
> 
> Take Care and Party Hard :0)


	4. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all :0)
> 
> Here is another chapter!!! We finally get to have some more detailed dialogue between Peter and Erik, as well as a little action. Also, a familiar mutant makes an appearance ;)
> 
> Warning: Grammatical/Spelling errors and possibly slight OOC-ness!!
> 
> I hope you enjoy!!!

**(March 4, 1983. 02:30 PM)  
** For the past two hours, the road trip was fairly quiet: his son listened to his music while Erik himself kept his eyes on the road, his own mind flowing with thoughts. He was sitting in a car with his son, HIS own son. Although he would never outwardly admit it, he was proud to see his son all grown up. The last time he saw him, he was a boy wearing a cheap-looking silver leather jacket, a Pink Floyd t-shirt, and flamboyant sneakers. Today, he looked as if he cleaned himself up. His childish leather jacket was now replaced with a dark grey denim jacket, his shoes (what he guessed) were traditional Converses, and he was now wearing a Rolling Stones long-sleeved shirt. He looked more put together and dignified. He still had those unbelievably dark irises, a genetic trait that didn’t come from him or his mother. His silver hair was still smooth and kept as it was when he encountered him ten years ago. Throughout the short amount of time apart, his son really matured: physically and mentally. However, Erik couldn’t help but let his mind drift off to nearly thirty years ago, when his ex was younger and filled with life rather than fear and resentment. He remembered a night a couple of months after he left her when he-   

“So you and mom, huh?”  
Erik snapped his eyes off the road and glanced at the young man leaning against the leather interior. Pushing the memories back, Erik cleared his throat and replied.  
“You sound surprised.”  
“Well I mean my mom ends up having a one night stand with a mutant, who just happens to be a psychotic terrorist, and gives birth to the child who breaks said mutant out of prison. What are the odds, huh?”  
“You know, what happened ten years ago never was considered an act of terror-”  
“Maybe not to you, but the hundreds of ‘Wanted' posters with your face on them say otherwise. Also, I was referring to you killing Kennedy.”  
“Again, not an act of terror.”  
“True, but everyone loved and respected him. So you managed to emotionally scar the people of America twice! Can’t lie, that’s kind of cool. Speaking about JFK, why did you kill him? I mean, he didn’t really hurt anyone. In fact, he seemed to like a lot of people, and a lot of people liked him in return.” Peter began to sound amused, leaning closer to Erik. “So come on, there has to be a good reason why you killed him. Were you secretly jealous that he was more powerful than you? Huh? You wanted to rob him? I mean, with your powers, you could’ve easily lifted up a bank vault and stole all of the money without-”  
“I was trying to save him,” Erik interrupted, putting an end to the constant questions and theories. “Someone planned on assassinating the President and I tried to stop the bullet. But then, national security disrupted my attempts and the bullet accidentally curved, killing the President.”  
“Wow,” Peter said with actual fascination, “that's so cool!! Wait, don’t you, like, hate all humans? Why would you go through the trouble and try to save him?”  
“Kennedy was one of us,” Erik replied solemnly.  
“Holy shit, are you serious? Kennedy was a mutant?! Aw man, I wonder what power he had. Power of persuasion? Speech? No, I got it: mind control! I mean, what else explains why so many people loved him? The main thing I don’t get is how a mutant like yourself, who can lift up an entire stadium and twenty guns with ease, not be able to stop a bullet. I mean, couldn’t you have crushed the bullet until it was a small ball and throw the trajectory off? Why didn’t you just halt the bullet all together?”  
“To be fair, having ten men on top of me wasn’t the best contribution for my mission to save the President.”  
“But still, you could’ve done a lot more.”  
“And how would you know that? You weren’t there when he was killed.”  
“No, but I saw your speech on TV ten years ago and I know that you are capable of stopping one single bullet. For crying out loud, you lifted a fucking stadium! A single metal ball should've been easy to stop.”  
“What’s done is done,” Erik replied firmly.  
Peter leaned back into his seat and stared at Erik. “I’m going to guess that’s your life motto. ‘What’s done is done.’ Come on, man! You don’t have any regrets? You never wished that you could rewind the clock and stop yourself from acting like a moron?”  
After a brief pause, Erik responded, “No.”  
“So that’s it? Once something bad happens, you just turn away and act like it never happened? Man, that explains a lot."  
“What do you mean by that?” Erik asked, now glancing at his son.  
“You hook up with my mom and leave her...just like that. You don’t regret a single thing after that. You don’t regret leaving her with an unborn baby.”  
“If you were paying attention earlier, I explained that personal business got in the way.”  
“What kind of business could possibly stop you from being with her? You do realize that there's something called 'a long distance relationship.' We also have phones this day of age.”  
“I was looking for someone who ruined my life.”  
“So you ditch my mom just to get revenge on someone? What the hell is wrong with you?”  
“If you knew what that man did to my family,” Erik growled, his grip on the wheel unconsciously tightening at the horrific memories embedded in his brain during his time at the concentration camp, “and if you knew the powers he possessed, you would understand why I had to leave!”  
“You were the one who just said, 'What's done is done.' You couldn't let go of your past to make time for your girlfriend and kid? You couldn't forget about that dude and just be a father?"  
"No actually, I could not."  
"Why? Was he hunting you while you were with mom?”  
“No.”  
“Was he hurting you?”  
“No!”  
“Then why the hell did you abandon my mom?!”  
“Why do you care?!”   
“ **You were suppose to be my father!!!** ” Hurt and anger laced Peter's voice. “I grew up without one for nearly twenty six years! And all because he thought a revenge mission was more important. Why the hell wouldn’t I care?!”

Peter and Erik were staring at each other, both of their facial expressions exhibiting multiple feelings. Peter was angry, disappointed, and, most of all, hurt. Not only did his father leave him before he was even born, but it seemed like he didn’t give a damn. Erik, on the other hand, felt guilty and frustrated. He wished that he could tell his son exactly why he left him so many years ago, but those memories would only spark even more painful memories: ones that he’s spent his entire life trying to bury away. Right now there were more important issues to attend to, not just the damaged and almost non-existent relationship between his son and himself. Before he could respond, the sound of sirens filled the air.  
“Oh shit,” Erik and Peter said simultaneously.  
Before Peter could move, Erik grabbed his arm. “You think about leaving me here, I’ll hunt you down myself.”  
“They aren’t after me,” Peter shot back, trying to get his arm released. “I don’t see why I have-”  
“Did I mention that a security tape managed to catch you shop-lifting a couple of months ago?”  
Lies. All lies. But if Erik had to lie to the speedster to get him on his side, then so be it.  
“What?!”  
“The police are after you as well. You try to run away from them and me, and they’ll make sure you’re hunted down by the end of the week. Also, the friend I keep mentioning is a telepath. He can not only see what’s happening right now, he can also track you down, get into your mind, and force you to come with me.”  
‘ _Enough Erik_ ,’ a British voice telepathically scolded the metalbender. ‘ _We can’t afford to scare him off_.’  
‘ _You don’t think I know that?_ _Relax my friend, I’m trying to intimidate him.._ ’  
‘ _Just don’t get into bigger trouble. You’re still wanted all around the world and we can’t afford to lose another mutant to-_ ’  
‘ _Thank you, Charles._ _Now if you don’t mind, I’ll deal with this_.’  
‘ _Fine. I’ll be waiting for you two in a couple of hours_.’  
When Erik was sure that Charles was out of his head, he snapped back into reality and saw that the passenger seat was empty and the window was rolled all the way down.  
“Bloody sod actually left,” he muttered in disbelief.

A knock on his window caught his attention. Realizing that there was no way out of the situation, Erik closed his eyes and slowly gathered all of the metal he could feel (that wasn’t part of the car), getting ready to launch it at the cops. He wasn’t going to get caught...he refused. He turned around and connected eyes with one of the cops. Before they could react, they were suddenly thrown nearly thirty yards away from the car, rolling onto the grass. Erik froze in shock and confusion. A third cop that was standing at the passenger's window was also flung into the air and landed dozens of feet away from the car. Erik looked back at the other fallen cops and was greeted by his son bending down and pointing down the road.  
“Drive! Now!!”  
Without thinking, Erik started the engine and sped off, sure that his son would be right on his tail.

After a couple of moments driving down the highway, Erik was about to look into the rearview mirror to see if he lost the cops. He was greeted by a pair of dark brown eyes staring right at him from the backseat.  
“Hey daddy-o!”  
Taken by surprise, Erik swerved the car for a second before finally stepping on the breaks. He snapped his head at Peter and glared at him.  
"Smooth," Peter sarcastically said.  
“Do you enjoy giving me heart attacks?”  
“You want my honest answer?”  
Rolling his eyes, Erik leaned back in his seat and pinched the bridge of his nose. He knew that his son saved him back there, so he was now bracing for-  
“I’m waiting…”  
There it is. Erik sighed before saying, “Thank you for-”  
“Can I drive? Before you say, ‘no,’ remember that I just saved your ass from going back to prison.”  
"Pietro-"  
"Peter."  
"Remember when I said that I wanted to get to New York in one piece?"  
"You can control the music..."  
After a brief pause, Erik sighed in defeat. “Fine. I know I’m going to regret this but-” Before he could register what was happening, the car door opened and he felt someone tugging him out of his seat impatiently. “Alright alright! I’m getting out,” Erik snapped.  
He made his way to the passenger's seat and slammed the door shut. Peter smirked while he started the engine, much to Erik's concern.  
“If you crash-”  
“Relax old man,” Peter casually said, “if the car goes off the road, you can just levitate it back.” Erik just stared at him. “Trust me, okay? We’ll be in New York in an hour or two. Oh, one more thing…”  
Peter placed his hand on top of Erik’s head and pushed it back so that his neck was now pressed against the leather head rest. At first, Erik looked startled, but then-  
“Whiplash?”  
“There you go,” Peter said cheerfully.  
In a matter of seconds, the car was speeding down the highway.

 **(March 4, 1983. 04:20 PM)**  
The impala came screeching to a halt in front of a huge mansion located in the middle of a forest. As soon as the car came to a complete stop, both front door opened. While Peter sped out the door and towards the front entrance of the mansion, Erik stumbled out and vomited onto the dirty road, his body still trying to process just how fast he went. He never noticed the cocky smirk that made its way across his son’s face. Peter knocked thirty times on the door in a matter of seconds, impatiently waiting for someone to open the door. Finally, the mansion doors slowly opened and Peter found himself staring at a tall man wearing thin glasses, an open collared shirt, and long khakis. Peter instantly smiled.  
“Poindexter!” he cried happily. “Great to see you again! Man, you **really** haven’t changed…”  
Peter felt his foot hit something solid, causing him to look down. He was greeted by a brown-haired man with baby blue eyes, dressed in a blue suit, and sitting in a wheelchair, staring up at him and smiling at him warmly.

“Hello,” the British mutant gently said, “my name is Charles Xavier. Welcome to my home.”  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We finally get to the main plot :D The focus on the story will now include Charles, as well as another familiar character who'll appear in a bit!
> 
> Questions/Comments/Concerns/Insults/Thoughts of love?? You know what I'll say ;)
> 
> Take Care and Party Hard :0)


	5. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all :0)
> 
> Here is another chapter!!! Charles is very hard to characterize (for me), but I'm starting to get the hang of him :D
> 
> Warning: Grammatical/Spelling errors and possibly slight OOC-ness!  
> I hope you all enjoy!!!!

“Uhh,” Peter tried to begin. “It’s great to see you again. I see you cleaned yourself up and… stuff.”  
Charles studied the younger man's stiff posture while briefly reaching his mind. Smirking, Charles looked down at his now useless legs, and then back up at the boy.  
“A story for another day perhaps. But for now, let’s get you a room in the-”  
Charles saw Peter suddenly appear behind the car’s rear, opening the truck and throwing something over his shoulders, before he popped right in front of the telepath.  
“-mansion,” Charles finished.  
Before Hank, Charles, and Peter could walk into the large home, they stopped to hear Erik spitting out the remaining vomit that begged to be expelled from his mouth. Erik wiped his mouth with his arm and glared at the three mutants, anger and annoyance in his eyes.  
“Are you all enjoying the show?” he asked annoyed.  
“Yes,” the three mutants replied unanimously. They turned their back towards Erik and headed into the room, smirks and smiles plastered onto their faces.

Peter whistled with amusement, as well as shock, when he saw just how big the mansion really was. He had the opportunity to look at the exterior while he was driving, but he was too occupied trying to come up with ways to either make Erik get scared shitless or puke his guts out. He succeeded in both and had no regrets. Peter looked up and stared at the beautiful chandelier hanging above them, and then stared at the huge staircase right in the center of the foyer. Doors located all around the entrance caught his curiosity; he made a silent vow to explore every passageway and door he could find.  
‘ _You can explore the place,_ ’ a voice said in his mind, ‘ _but I will not be held responsible for any injuries or emotional trauma you may experience during your stay._ ’  
Peter snapped his head down and stared at the British mutant in the wheelchair in shock and awe.  
‘ _Holy shit,_ ’ Peter thought, ‘ _Erik really was telling the truth about the telepath. I wonder if he can control anyone just like Erik said. Wait, if he could read my mind, could he connect my mind with other minds? Aw man, it would be so cool if he could like freeze someone and then-_ ’  
“ _I can hear everything everyone says, control any other living creature of any species, connect two separate minds together so they can read each other’s thoughts, and can shut down the minds of others, creating the illusion that time has froze._ ”  
Peter smiled at the mutant and then frowned. “Wait, so why didn’t you freeze everyone at the White House ten years ago? You could’ve saved humans and mutants a lot of trouble…”  
“I would retaliate by explaining that I was pinned underneath stadium beams and surrounded by highly equipped robots hellbent on neutralizing mutants.”  
“Good point,” Peter began, “but they weren’t attacking you when the landed in front of the White House. They were just standing guard around at the edge of the stadiums. You must’ve been controlling-”  
“That was Erik,” Hank growled.  
“Couldn’t have you controlled him?”  
“He was wearing a telepathy-blocking helmet that prevented me from entering his mind and stopping him and the Sentinels he was controlling.”  
“You mean that ugly, purple thing on his head that looks like satan's ass?”  
“It may be ugly,” Erik said from the doorframe, leaning against the wood material, “but it has more power than all of you combined.”  
“And it’s caused unimaginable damage,” Charles bitterly said.  
“It was created to keep enemies out of my head,” Erik shot back, slowly approaching Charles.  
“Like myself?”  
“Well, if you keep accusing me of ‘nearly ending the mutant race’, as you’ve put it, then I may just have to consider you an enemy.”  
“Your actions in Cuba and DC have put mutants on the map, and not in a good way. You want to protect our kind? Then I suggest-”  
“I want our kind to stop cowering in fear due to the inhumane treatment we are victims to everyday.”  
“There were other ways to get your point across! There have always been more peaceful and-”  
“Charles, you know what I’m about to say.”  
Erik and Charles were glaring at each other, both of them consumed with their own emotions as well as memories. Before anything could become extremely heated Peter coughed, catching Erik and Charles’ attention.  
“Don’t get me wrong, I’m loving this little drama festival happening here. In fact, I haven’t been so engaged with someone’s drama since J.R Ewing was shot. Man, that cliffhanger was anti-climatic...but Sue Ellen had it coming in my opinion. Also, why would J.R-”  
“Pietro!” Erik and Charles shouted in unison.  
"Anyhow, I understand that you both recruited me to use me for your own selfish purposes, not so I can watch the little soap opera that’s going on here.”  
After a beat, Charles composed himself and sighed. “My apologizes, Pietro.”  
“It’s Peter. Like Peter Parker, Peter Pan, Pe-”  
“I understand,” Charles said. "Forgive me if I call you Pietro for a while. Erik has referred to you as Pietro since we united a couple of months ago, so I apologize if I refer you by your more...formal name.”  
“Uh huh...So, which room, out of the millions in this castle, am I staying in?”  
“There’s a room waiting for you on your second left on the second floor,” Hank shyly responded. “You will be staying-”  
For the whatever number of times today, Peter was gone and back in the blink of an eye: the only way the other three mutants could tell that Peter left them was the small gust of wind that went past them, as well as a silver line that could briefly be seen. Peter smiled and clapped his hands together.  
“Alright, I’ve unpacked! So what now?”  
Charles and Erik glanced at each other and nodded.  
“Come with us, Pietro,” Charles said.  
Instead of correcting the mutant, Peter simply sighed and walked with Erik, Charles, and Hank through a hallway that lead to a large living room.

As soon as Hank opened the door, Peter’s eyes found a buff, lumberjack-looking man leaning against the arm of the couch located in the center of the room. The man had brown hair, brown eyes, and also three claws that stuck out of his knuckles? After a moment, Peter smiled and ran up to the man...or mutant.  
“Wolfman!” he greeted cheerfully. “Man, how long has it been? Nine years? Ten years? Holy cow, you haven’t age a bit!”  
“Thanks kid,” Logan replied, his voice revealing that he was distracted by something else.  
“No like, seriously, you haven’t aged at all. What’s your secret? Skin cream? Plastic surgery? Please tell me you didn't make some shifty deal with some mutant or scientist! Those deals end up being fake...trust me, I know.”  
“It’s good to see you too,” Logan replied amused yet slightly annoyed.  
Following a moment of awkward silence, Charles spoke up.  
“Pietro, I need you to pay attention. By now I’m sure that Erik’s updated you on the situation.”  
“In a way. Supreme mutant, multiple attacks, saving surviving mutants, defeating whoever is behind all of the chaos… sounds like fun.”  
“Well, Hank was looking at security footage found in Boston and he thinks he’s identified who’s behind the attack. Hank?”  
Hank moved to sit on the couch and plopped a picture on the table, forcing Erik and his son to lean downwards to see the face better.  
“En Sabah Nur, also known as ‘The First One.’ His face has only been seen by very few people who’ve survived his attacks and, according to eyewitness accounts, his features in this image are exactly how they described him. There’s one thing that slightly confuses me though. I’ve seen his face on hieroglyphics in pictures of old Egyptian tombs...his face then proceeds to appear in a number of architectural structures that are standing today.”  
“He must be immortal,” Logan said, inspecting the image more carefully.  
“What I don’t get is why he’s deciding to attack now? I mean, after all of these centuries, he chooses now?”  
“Mutants haven’t been in the spotlight for centuries, for the fear of death, rejection, and misery probably awaited them." Erik said. “Because this generation has more mutants being exposed to the public eye-”  
“I wonder who’s fault that is,” Peter mumbled.  
“-then the mutant must be creating an army.”  
“But why would he waste his time wasting human lives when he probably knows just how powerful he is?”  
“I don’t know,” Charles replied honestly, “but we need to stop him...or at least weaken his process of recruiting and killing mutants and their families.”  
At that sentence, images of Lorna and his mother flashed before Peter’s eyes. He shuddered and looked down, quickly pushing back the image of his family being collateral damage in whatever his name’s attacks.  
‘ _They are far from harm’s way_ ,’ Charles mentally shot him.  
Peter looked at the professor and smiled sadly.  
‘ _They better be_ ,’ he replied.  
“This is where you come in,” Logan said, ending the silent comforting conversation he and Charles were having. “Your speed and quick thinking is what we need to rescue some young mutants Professor Charles managed to track down.”  
“Huh… so what do you exactly want me to do?”  
“The first mutant we tracked down is named Warren Worthington III. He is currently a circus performer a couple of miles from here. We need you to go to one of his performances with Erik and-”  
“You sure having America’s most wanted mutant attend a public event is the smartest thing?”  
“Fine. Hank, you go with Peter and try to get Worthington out of there before they can identify you both.”  
While Hank looked unbelievably nervous, Peter had a cocky smile on his face.  
“So I get to break someone out again? Man, you guys are either the most useless mutants I’ve ever come across..or the laziest. Ehh, what the hell? I’m in!”  
“Professor,” Hank asked Charles, “what if something bad happens and-”  
“Don’t worry buddy,” Peter happily said while wrapping his arm around the other man’s shoulders, “with me around, nothing can go wrong.”  
‘ _Oh boy,_ ’ Erik and Charles thought.  
“Alright gentlemen,” Charles began. “Tomorrow night, you both will attend the performance and try to get the boy out of there before another attack occurs. Good luck.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! Logan is here :D
> 
> Questions/Comments/Concerns/Thoughts of love/insults? Write em' down :)
> 
> Take Care and Party Hard :0)


	6. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all :0)
> 
> Like I said in the AN, I'm very sorry about the lack of updates!!! But I managed to find a time to write two new chapters :D Thank you for your patience and support!
> 
> Warning: Grammatical/Spelling errors and possibly slight OOC-ness!!
> 
> I hope you enjoy!!!

**(March 5, 1983. 06:58 PM)**  
“Ladies and gentlemen!” an announcer yelled in the center of a semi-circle stage. “I present to you Angel! The freak with wings!!”  
Peter and Hank winced at the word ‘freak’ being used to describe the mutant about to be revealed on stage. Getting into the show was easy, considering that Peter simply pick-pocketed two tickets from a couples’ pockets. They had seats right in the center of the isle, giving them the perfect view of the show. The overall performance was pretty bland: typical juggling act, followed by acrobats and trapeze performers, then random animals stomping all over the place, ending with clowns harassing children. Same old same old. While Hank was frantically looking around to see if any cops would notice him or Peter, the younger mutant on the other hand was trying his hardest not to scream out of pure boredom. There were plenty of times when he wished he could just pickpocket everyone in the audience and steal their wallets, watches, etc. However, he not only knew that the Professor would probably see everything that he was doing, but he also didn’t want to be on the map even more than he already was. His own father is still considered one of the most wanted criminals, which already put him at a disadvantage. He wanted to keep a low key not only so that he can continue to roam the streets, but also so that he can go home and see Lorna again.

As soon as the announcer finished his address, the lights dimmed down dramatically. A huge curtain that was off to the far left side of the stage was suddenly lifted up, slowly exposing an enormous metal cage. Once the curtain was pulled all the way up, a pair of two snow white wings shined into the audience. Peter and Hank leaned forward in awe at the beautiful sight: the way the lighting hit the pretty large wings hit the two emotionally. The mutant turned his head and, much to both the older mutants shock, revealed that Worthington III looked like he was Peter’s age: early to mid twenties. The mutant had blonde hair, and was kind of small for his age. Peter and Hank watched in awe as the young mutant jumped off the huge platform he was standing on, fell at least nearly three stories, and then suddenly glided through the air with grace. A side of the cage door opened and the mutant was soon flying above the audience members.  
“Holy cow,” Hank quietly said.  
The blonde mutant did loops, spun around for a while, and even dive-bombed the announcer, much to Peter’s amusement. After a two minutes of that, the young mutant flew back into his cage, bowed to the audience, and let the curtain cover him again. As the stadium began to roar with cheers and applause, Peter and Hank glanced at each other nervously: Worthington apparently was well-liked... which meant his disappearance will not go unnoticed. Peter betted his life that if he were to die, nobody would even notice: Lorna was too young, his father definitely wouldn’t care, and his mom...well, maybe she was the exception. Humans especially wouldn’t give three shits  if he were to somehow vanish of the face of the Earth. For Peter, seeing humans clap and cheer for a mutant made him nervous...and possibly slightly jealous. Shaking the thoughts out of his head, he nudged Hank with his elbow to grab his attention.  
“Ready?” The silver-haired mutant whispered.  
“Yeah but just try not to make a scene back there, okay? I don’t want to get into trouble and end up going to-”  
“Relax, Hank. Nothing bad will happen! I promise.” Peter’s voice held no humor or sarcasm, making Hank feel a little better.  
“Okay. Here we go.”  
Hank reached into one of his pockets located on his brown jacket, and wrapped his hand around a thin detonator. With a deep breath, he pressed a button and all of the lights instantly went out. The blackout was followed by a collective gasp by the audience.

Peter was already running as lightly as he could to the huge cage. As soon as he approached the cage, he lifted the curtain that covered the entrance, opened the gate, and ran up the metal cage until he was face to face with the mutant.  
“Hey man, loved your show. Big fan, big fan. Ten outta ten would go again. So hey, you wanna get out of here?”  
The blonde mutant widened his eyes at the sudden appearance of a silver-haired human. He backed away from the the young man.  
“Uhhh,” he began, “what is going on?”  
“To simplify it, something's hunting down mutants like yourself. My friend and I want to get you out of here.”  
“Wait, are you serious?”  
“I know, man. I wonder who would want to hunt down handsome devils like ourselves and-”  
“You’re a mutant as well?”  
“No, I’m a human that managed to scale a fifty-foot cage with no stairs, ladder, or elevator in less than three seconds,” Peter shot back sarcastically.  
Worthington stared at the silver-haired mutant with confusion and distrust. He didn’t trust whoever this guy is standing right in front of him, but the news that something's hunting down mutants grabbed his attention. He wondered if the recent new reports about the destruction of towns and cities connected to what the stranger was telling him.  
“Look man,” Peter’s voice quietly said, “as much as I would love to stand here and watch you contemplate life, my friend and I don’t have a lot of time. So, you coming along with us or not?”  
“I-I just don’t trust you,” Worthington said honestly. “How can I trust a guy who ju-”  
He was interrupted by the feeling of a pair of hands pressed against his body, one against his back and the other on the back of his head. Before he could ask what was happening, he found himself traveling at unimaginable speed around the cage. His wings were still pressed against his lower back, so it was clear that he wasn’t doing the moving. Also, no matter how hard he tried, he could never fly at such a fast speed. After a couple of seconds, he found himself standing back on the platform high above. He leaned against the cage in order to try to push the vomit that threatened to spill out of his mouth back down.  
“I would’ve gone faster,” Peter said panting slightly, “but you’re not as light as you look…”  
Shaking the remaining dizziness away, the blonde mutant straightened up and stared at the other mutant with fascination, as well as slight horror.  
“We’re trying to bust you out of here. You know, like a jailbreak! Like _The Great Escape_ , or _Cool Hand Luke_ , or _Escape From Alcatraz_! Boy oh boy, can Clint Eastwood do some-" Peter stopped himself when he realized that he wash getting off topic. He cleared his throat and continued. "Come on, even if this threat turns out to be nothing, do you really want to be a circus monkey for the rest of your life?”  
“I’m not going to stay here for-”  
“Then where are you going to go? Do you really think your bosses are going to let you go like that? If they’ve had enough of you, you probably aren’t going to be free for a long time. They’ll just sell you to the next circus or a research lab.”  
Peter honestly didn’t know what would happen to the blonde mutant once he was let go of, which was bound to happen. But he knew that because of Erik’s speech ten years ago, mutants could no longer roam on the streets: their lives had a bounty, and nothing would stop humans from exploiting or hunting them down.  
After a couple more seconds, Worthington sighed and nodded his head.  
“Alright. Lead the way.”  
In an instant, Peter was back on the ground floor, silently motioning the winged mutant to come down. The other mutant jumped down and gracefully landed next to the silver-haired mutant. For the second time tonight, he felt the same pair of hands grab him in the same places they were at moments ago.  
“You ready?”  
The blonde mutant nodded and was instantly thrown off his feet and carried to a car in an alleyway a block from where the tent was. Letting go of Worthington, Peter smiled and ran back into the tent. He ran back to where he was sitting and grabbed Hank by the back of his head, as well as shoulders.  
“I got him,” he quietly said to Hank.  
Hank nodded and pressed the trigger in his pocket again. This time, the speakers that were placed on both sides of the stage started to release loud feedback noises, making everyone (including the two mutants) wince in pain. Despite the dark environment, Peter and Hank could see audience members clamp their ears in pain. Using this as an opportunity, Peter grabbed Hank and ran out of the tent.

Within a second, Hank and Peter appeared in front of Worthington, who jumped back in surprise at the sudden appearance of the two. Once the two were at a complete stop, Hank leaned against the black car they used to arrive here and tried to push down the waves of nausea. Peter was about to make his way into the driver’s seat when he felt a firm hand lock onto his right arm.  
“I’m driving,” Hank breathed out.  
“Really?” Peter asked with slight annoyance.  
“We need to get out of here without being detected. And considering how you made Erik sick when you arrived at the mansion yesterday, I think it would be best if I drove back.”  
“Fine...but I get to choose the music.”  
“Don’t you always?”  
With all three mutants in the car, they drove out of the alley and onto the main road, abandoning the circus tent Worthington once called home.

 **(March 5, 1983. 11:15 PM)**  
Erik, Charles, and Logan were sitting in one of many living rooms in the mansion. They were discussing how to approach finding the next mutant Charles managed to find with Cerebro.  
“How do you propose we find Scott Summers?” Erik asked. “He’s in a research lab in Providence that's heavily guarded by the United States Military. Unless you can conjure up some miraculous plan, I don’t think-”  
“I have an idea,” Charles interrupted, “but I know you will not approve of it.” Taking a deep breath, he continued. “I was thinking that you could go into the lab and act as a test subject fo-”  
“Out of the question!"  
“Erik, the only way we will have access to the lab is if someone brings in a mutant for them to evaluate.”  
“I’ve had enough doctors poking at me for three lifetimes!"  
“Which is why your son will go with you,” Charles finished. “He’ll escort you to the lab, find Scott, and leave with the two of you. Believe me, Peter has the speed and intelligence to pull this off...but it will only work if you’re willing to do your part. Erik, I will make sure that the men and women in the facility won't lay a single hand on you once you’re their.” Charles’ reassuring words were meant with a glare from Erik.  
“Why can’t you get him to do it?” Erik asked, pointing at Logan.  
“Because,” Logan replied without taking his eyes off his cigar, “I’m not on 'America’s Most Wanted' list. They’ll be more willing to accept you in the lab than me.”  
“Erik,” Charles quietly said, lowering his head so that he could meet his friend’s eyes, “I promise you that nothing will happen to you. I know that you've been through enough, but I need you to do this.”  
Charles could not only detect the rage Erik was feeling, but also the fear. He absolutely hated putting his friend in this position. Sure, Erik has hurt him both physically and emotionally in more ways than he could imagine, but that doesn’t mean that he has to revisit some of his worst nightmares in return. The amount of guilt he was feeling for his friend almost overwhelmed him, but that was balanced with confidence. He knew that Pietro would be able to handle this mission with ease. After all, Hank just reported back to them and said everything went better than he expected. As annoying as the speedster could be, his intelligence and gifts were unlike any Charles has ever seen. He had complete faith that Erik’s son would not only track and free Scott Summers, but also protect Erik in case things went wrong. Which reminded him...  
“You could also use the road trip as an opportunity to tell Pietro the truth about-”  
“No! He doesn’t need to know about my past.”  
“He’s your son, Erik, and no matter what, he will eventually discover the truth. He deserves to know what happened.”  
“Your concern for him is appreciated but not needed.”  
“He’s not the mutant I’m concerned about,” Charles quietly replied, eyes not leaving Erik’s.  
They stared at each other for a couple of seconds, unsure of what will happen next. Erik looked down at the ground and closed his eyes. He prayed all of his life since his time at the camps that he wouldn’t have to go back. He promised himself that he would never become a lab rat and used as a tool to fulfill the selfish needs of the homo sapiens. He vowed that he would never revisit the horrific and life-shaping events. And now it seems as if everything he’d worked so hard to avoid was coming right back at him. He knew that once he was in the lab, he would become enveloped in memories and pain, making him vulnerable. With the exception of Charles, he didn’t want anyone to see his weakness. He knew that once his weaknesses were discovered, humans would use it to their advantage and hurt him, as well as the ones he cares about. That said, he knew how important this “save the mutants” mission is to Charles. Erik knew that he’d hurt Charles way too many times and that he deserved to have a couple of days of happiness, or hope. As much as Erik hated to do so, he knew he had to push down his pride and not only help the young mutant in the lab, but also to make Charles happy. Taking a deep breath, he nodded his head and looked back up at Charles.  
“Fine,” he quietly said, “I’ll do it.”  
Charles smiled and placed a hand on Erik’s knee. “Thank you. I won’t make you tell Pietro the truth just yet but-”  
“The truth about what?”  a voice asked from the doorway.

Logan, Charles, and Erik snapped their heads to the door and saw Hank, Peter, and Warren standing at the entrance. Charles wheeled his way towards Warren and extended his hand.  
“Hello there. My name is Charles Xavier and welcome to my home.”  
“Pleasure. Name’s Warren Worthington III, but you can just call me Angel,” the blonde mutant warmly replied while shaking Charles’ hand.  
“Angel, this is Logan Howlett. And that is Erik Lehnsherr.” The other two mutants absently nodded their heads, their minds occupied with other thoughts.  
“Wait, aren’t you the mutant who was on TV ten years ago at the White House and-”  
“Yep, that’s him,” Peter said from behind. “So Professor, what's this secret I just heard about?”  
“We will address that soon. Logan, please escort Warren to his room. Erik and Hank, you two may go wherever you please. But right now, I need a moment to talk with Pietro alone.”  
“It’s Peter,” the silver-haired mutant corrected.  
While Logan led Angel out of the living room, Hank headed towards the medical lab a couple of halls down, and Erik made his way towards his room. As he was leaving, he casted an unsure (and possibly nervous) glance at his friend, who simply smiled back.  
‘ _Do not worry, Erik. Everything will be fine_.’  
‘ _You better be right._ ’  
With that, Erik left the room, leaving the telepath and speedster alone in the room.

“Did I do something wrong?”  
“Not at all, my friend. Erik and I were discussing how to reach the next mutant we located.”  
“Great! I’m going to take a wild guess that you’ll need my help, right?”  
“That is correct.”  
"Fine, but after this, I get a day off.”  
“Already exhausted after two missions?”  
“Hey, carrying people's dead weight dozens of yards isn’t the easiest.”  
“Fair enough. Fine, after this mission, you can have the day off. Please, sit down.”  
Peter was sitting on the couch in a second, looking around the living room with awe. “Jesus, how many rooms does this place have?”  
“More than you know,” Charles answered, taking in the boy’s look of fascination and amusement. “Hank told me your performance was outstanding tonight. You not only convinced Angel to follow you both back here, but also managed to get out of the circus in record speed.” Peter smiled at the compliments he had no idea were shared. “Which is why I need you to follow your father to Providence, Rhode Island to a research lab. It is there where I tracked down another mutant named Scott Summers. Unfortunately, the facility is heavily guarded and-”  
“More than the Pentagon? Get out of here.”  
“Maybe not as heavily guarded, but the tools and weapons in there are more advanced than glass handguns. Our goal is for you and Erik to infiltrate the lab and grab Scott before something happens to him. You will escort Erik to the lab where he will become a temporary examinee."  
"You mean a lab rat?"  
"...Yes. When you are separated from your father, you will track down Scott, with my help, and free him. Then you’ll grab Erik and leave the facility. Hank will be waiting for Scott, as well as any other mutants who are held in the lab, with a jet and fly them out of Providence.”  
“What about us?”  
“You and Erik will have to drive back here in case security decides to follow you two. Do you understand?”  
“I think so,” Peter nodded. After a moment of silence, Peter spoke up. “So...is that all?”  
“Actually, the reason I wanted to speak with you alone is because of Erik.”  
“Oh god, what did he do this time?”  
“Nothing at all. He’s just worried about the mission.”  
“What? Mister ‘I lifted up an entire stadium and declared war against humanity’ is scared?”  
“Did he ever tell you what happened to him when he was younger?”  
That caught Peter’s attention. “No...why? Did something happen to him?”  
“That’s a story for him to tell. However, I will tell you that his unfortunate past has left numerous scars, physical and emotional, on him.” He could see the curiosity and worry in the younger mutant’s dark eyes. “I need your word that if something goes wrong tomorrow, that you’ll look after your father.”  
“What are you talking about?”  
“If, by any chance, lab researchers decide to hurt him in any form, I need you to defend him and get him out of the lab as soon as possible.”  
“What will happen if I don’t reach him in time?”  
“Who knows. Knowing Erik, he could either become too dangerous to be around or possibly lost in his memories. Either way, he’ll need your help if something is to unexpectedly happen. Pietro, I need your word that you’ll look out for him tomorrow.”  
To say Peter wasn’t concerned was a huge lie. He now had the responsibility of looking after his father, who apparently had something horrible happen to him when he was younger, while breaking another mutant out of a heavily-guarded facility. While his mind could conjure up dozens of theories as to what had happened to Erik, he pushed them all down and focused on the mutant sitting in front of him.  
“I promise that I’ll look after him,” Peter said with honesty.  
Charles smiled, patted the mutant’s knee, and wheeled himself out of the room. Peter was now sitting in the living room alone with his thoughts, fears, and questions. In order to clear his mind, he turned on the TV that was placed in front of the couch he was sitting on and smirked when the first headline he saw read:

_**Angel Missing! Circus Performer Warren Worthington III Gone After Sudden Blackout During Performance!!**_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter will have a lot of action, and hopefully emotional parts as well! It may also feature a familiar character or two that isn't Scott ;)
> 
> Questions/Comments/Concerns/Insults/Thoughts of love?? Please feel free to write em' down in the comments :D 
> 
> Take Care and Party Hard :0)


	7. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all :0)
> 
> Because I not only sucked at updating the story in the past, but also because I have a lot of work this upcoming week, I decided to post another chapter :D This one has a lot of action, as well as familiar faces ;) It's also a bit long, so I'm sorry about that.
> 
> Warning: Grammatical/Spelling errors and possibly slight OOC-ness!!
> 
> I hope you enjoy!!

**(March 6, 1983. 09:45 AM)  
** The car ride from Charles’ mansion to the research facility was unbearably tense. While Peter was lost in his own thoughts about his conversation with Charles the previous night, Erik was trying to mentally prepare himself for what was about to come. However, he found that the almost five hour car ride actually helped calm him down a bit. There were moments when hints of anxiety would show, but overall Erik seemed to remain calm at the thought of possibly being experimented on again. Finally, after hours of driving (mostly on Erik’s part) they made it to the lab facility.  
The lab was a lot smaller that Peter had anticipated, making him slightly upset. It didn’t even look like a lab at all...more like an abandoned shack. Although the width of the lab was small, the length of it was pretty long: the back of the facility stretched out almost half a mile. The outside of the lab was layered with fading white paint, green vines, and mud splatters.  
Once they parked the car a couple of yards away from the main entrance, Erik quickly tore off the front and back license plate of the car and threw them into the back seat. Pietro shot Erik a look of confusion.  
“Just a precaution."  
“Uhh, no problem.” After a moment of silence, Peter continued. “Are you okay?”  
“Peter Maximoff concerned about others? What a surprise!”  
“Hey man, I just want to get this over with without any mass genocides,” Peter shot back with his hands up in surrender. “And based on what the professor told me, you-”  
“And exactly what **did** the professor tell you?”   
“He just said that something happened to you way back when that may cause you to, you know, go slightly crazy.”  
‘ _Charles_ ,’ Erik silently scolded the mutant back in New York, ‘ _What exactly did you tell the boy?_ ’  
‘ _Do not worry, my friend. Nothing personal at all. I told him that you can tell him your history another day._ ’  
“You okay?” Peter’s voice snapped Erik back to the present.  
“I’m fine. Do not worry yourself over me!”  
“Fine! Forget I said anything! Let’s just finish this, alright?”  
Erik stared at his son with slight regret. “I’m sorry,” he quietly said. “In all seriousness, you do not need to worry about me. I will be able to handle a couple of needles and wires and-”  
“You already know what they’ve got planned in there, huh?”  
“I have a fairly good idea,” Erik replied as he began to take off his shirt.  
He put on more casual clothes: a brown t-shirt, blue jeans, and some old sneakers. When he took off his shirt, a number of scars --all different sizes, shapes, and colors-- were revealed for Peter to see. The younger mutant froze when he saw the amount of marks that littered his father’s back. He was about to ask what he killed in order to get those scars when his eyes caught some black ink on Erik’s left arm. The numbers **214782** were written in (what Peter guessed was) permanent ink. He began to lean closer in order to get a better look at the tattoo when his father’s eyes caught him staring.  
“Are you just going to stare at your father changing or-”  
“No no no,” Peter immediately shot back, “I’m just...yeah.”  
Peter crawled into the back seat of the car and quickly got changed into his costume, which were basically his street clothes but with an addition: a baseball cap that covered his silver hair. Once he tucked in his hair, Peter sighed and looked at his father, who also just finished changing. They both made eye contact with each other and nodded.  
“You ready?” Peter asked.  
“Let’s find out.”

 **(March 6, 1983. 10:00 AM)**  
If you were a scientist at the Providence Research Lab, the chances of anyone or anything unique or rare popping into the facility were very rare. The last time anything special came along was five years ago, when a mutant was brought to the facility. This mutant was originally suppose to be the fourth one the facility owned, but, unfortunately, it succumbed to an unknown disease. Now there were only three mutants held here and-  
“Could you stop squirming?!” a frustrated voice asked from the entrance.  
“If you believe that I’m going out quietly, you’re sorely mistaken!”  
All of scientists who were near the front entrance made their way towards the door, opened it, and froze when they saw the famous mutant terrorist, responsible for Kennedy's assassination and White House attack, standing right in front of them. They watched in awe as the mutant wrestled with a young-looking man with strangely dark eyes. After a moment of struggling, the boy collected himself and addressed the men and women standing at the entrance.  
“I heard you were a research lab that experiments on freaks like him,” he said as he roughly shoved the older mutant forward. “Well, I’ve got one right here and boy does he have abilities.”  
“Like what?” one of the researches asked.  
Both men standing at the door looked surprised, as if she should already know what the mutant’s abilities are. “He can control metal and… things,” the young man said.  
The scientists were slightly unsure of what was going on. Their suspicions died down however when metal objects that were located in the main entrance shot towards them and ended up being embedded around the wooden door frame.  
“See?”  
The leading doctor, Doctor Karl Stragg, emerged from the crowd and examined the mutant with curiosity and fascination. He then eyed the boy who brought him to the facility with the same look. After a brief pause, Stragg laughed and patted the boy on the shoulder.  
“Congratulations kid! You just caught probably the most valuable terrorist in America so far. We’ll take it from here.”  
As soon as he finished his sentence, a plastic syringe he was holding quickly shot up and the needle dug itself deep into the mutant’s neck.  
“W-What is that?” the young boy asked.  
“It’s a drug our lab has created that will temporarily exterminate the x-gene, impairing any mutant’s powers. No matter how strong they are, our drug will overpower the gene.”  
When Stagg looked back up, he noticed that both the mutant and the boy looked slightly horrified (as well as pissed). Smiling, he reached for two plastic zip ties and tightly wrapped them around the mutant’s wrists.  
“Thank you, young man. Your contribution helped pioneer a better future for humans around the world.”  
“Wait a second, isn’t there a bounty on his head?” As the boy asked this, he pulled out Erik's crumpled wanted poster from his back pocket. Both the Doctor and Erik looked surprised.  
“You know you could’ve brought him to the government and-”  
“Well, like you said, I brought him here so humans could have a better future without mutants. Look, I’m not asking for $100,000. Maybe $90,000...or $80,000.” Silence. "Fine, either I get $50,000 or I take him to government officials."  
After a brief pause, Stragg sighed and motioned his secretary over to his side.  
“Susan, could you escort this gentleman to our office and give him $10,000. It’s the least we can do for him under these circumstances.”  
The brunette smiled and motioned the young boy to follow her. As the young man moved away from Erik, Stagg noticed the boy squeeze the older mutant’s shoulder either as a departing gesture... or for reassurance.

Peter already hated this place. A better future for human’s around the world? He was starting to understand why his father hated humans so much. He also hated calling his father, as cruel as he could be, a freak. Considering that they both shared similar genes, Pietro knew that Erik would never call him a freak. But the drug the doctor injected Erik with, the drug that exponentially complicated their escape plans, was the thing Pietro hated the most. The drug, as simple yet powerful as it was, managed to expose a side of Erik he's never seen before; not anger --well, maybe some anger--, but fear. Pietro saw Erik's posture stiffen when the serum was injected. Pietro's body also tensed up whenever he was nervous or afraid about his family, particularly Lorna. Whenever he sensed that his baby sister was in distress, he would automatically stiffen up before running at full speed to reach her. Seeing Erik scared not only frightened him, but also made him feel better. Before he left him in the hands of Doctor "Needs to look in a mirror", he squeezed Erik’s shoulder for reassurance and comfort. He knew that it wouldn’t completely help him out, but at least he would depart knowing that he’ll have his back.   
  
As he was following the brunette to the office, he took in the dark and grim cells that were perfectly lined up against both sides of the hall. The cells were completely brown and covered in vines, dust, and mud. The was a strong, metallic smell in the air that made Peter inwardly throw up in his mouth. The echoes that filled the air every step they took didn’t really help Peter’s bad vibe.  
‘ _Pietro,_   _l_ _ook to your left._ ’  
Pietro jumped at the sudden voice before cautiously following his given orders. To his surprise,  he found himself staring at Charles, who was  **standing** right in front of a cell.  
‘ _Do not be alarmed. I’m projecting myself for you from Cerebro. My physical presence is back at the mansion. Scott is in the cell behind me. Wait for an opportunity to open the_ -’  
Charles didn’t even finish his sentence when Peter suddenly and silently ran full speed into the office at the end of the hallway. He opened the door, searched through every draw and desk until he found a set of keys hidden underneath a pile of papers, ran back out towards the cell ‘Charles’ was standing in front of, unlocked the cell door after going through four other keys that were on the chain, put the keys back where they were, silently closed the door, and ran back so that he was standing right behind the brunette as if nothing had happened.  
‘ _Unbelievable_!’ ‘Charles' exclaimed.  
‘ _You mad_ _?_ ’  
‘ _Not at all! I’m fascinated at the velocity you just traveled at without making a single sound! You're really gifted._ ’  
Peter smiled at the compliment. ‘ _You’re not so bad yourself_.’  
Once he and Susan reached the office, she turned around and motioned him to sit in the seat.  
“I’ll be back in a couple of minutes.”  
Peter smiled and waited until she disappeared in a separate room. Once he was sure that she was gone, he ran to Scott’s cell and quietly opened the door.  
‘ _You think you could let me know when Susan is about to come back to the waiting room_ _?_ ’  
‘ _Of course_.’  
Peter directed his attention to the mutant sitting on a thin-padded mattress pressed against the moss covered wall. Kneeling down, he took in the younger mutant’s features.

Scott Summers was wearing a white prison uniform, almost identical to the one Erik was wearing in the Pentagon. He had brown hair, was around five feet tall (possibly five inches taller), and his eyes were covered by a thick white cloth. Peter moved to unwrap the cloth when a pair of hands wrapped around his wrists, stopping him  
“Don’t remove them unless you plan on becoming a pile of ash in a second,” Scott whispered.  
“I'd probably dodge whatever came flying in my direction,” he calmly replied. “What happened to your eyes? Did they install some kind of weapon into them or inject you with some drug that makes you shoot out crazy shit-”  
“It’s keeping the beams of energy from flying right into your eyes.”  
“Far out! I mean, I’ve never actually seen what energy beams look like, but all I know is that they’re deadly, powerful, and just straight up awesome. I’m almost tempted to remove the cloth just to see you in action.”  
‘ _Pietro_.'  
“Alright Charles,” he unintentionally replied out loud, “I’ll stop.”  
“Charles? As in Charles Xavier?”  
“Wait...you know him?”  
“I’ve been hearing him in my head for the past couple of days. He kept reassuring me that help was coming and that I’d see my older brother again. He’s real?”  
“Yeah he’s real, and I’m the white knight here to save the princess in distress...that’s you.”  
“But how will we get out? I don’t want to hurt anyone and-”  
“Relax! We’ve got you covered.”  
“We?”  
“Myself, Erik, and Charles. Although I don’t think Erik will be in the best shape to help us and all Charles can do is direct us on where to go. Well, I’ve still got you covered.”  
“What’s your ability?”  
“I can run faster than the speed of sound.”  
“Wow. That’s actually impressive.”  
“You bet your-”  
‘ _Pietro_!’  
‘ _Come on, Charles! Can’t I have a moment to impress the youngster with my awesome_ -’  
‘ _It’s Erik._ ’  
‘ _What about him_ _?_ ’ The humor and sarcasm in his voice automatically switched off. ‘ _Is he okay?_ ’  
‘ _Y_ _ou need to get to him now!_ ’  
“Professor, what the hell is happening to him?”  
“Him?” Scott asked in confusion. “Who’s him?”  
‘ _I’ll explain later. Right now, you need to get Scott, Erik, and two other mutants who are with you, out of there!!!_ ’  
“Jesus,” Peter said to himself before turning his attention back to Scott. “Alrighty, I need you to follow me while we make a break for it.”  
“I can’t run as fast as-”  
“I’m not going to run at my full speed. But before we leave, I’ll need your help freeing two other mutants who are trapped in the cells…” He paused for a moment to hear Charles’ directions. “Four from the left of here and... one five from the right on the opposite side. Okay?”  
Scott nodded and stood up. However, right when they were about to make a break for it, they were both greeted by Susan, who was blocking the entrance and holding a gun right at Peter’s heart.  
“You’re a freak,” she said with disbelief.  
“The correct term is mutant you over-privileged neanderthal.” He really was beginning to sound like Erik...Fuck. “You’re really in support of scientists torturing and experimenting on mutants?”  
“They’ve caused nothing but trouble."  
“So if someone causes you trouble, you resort to torturing them? And I thought Erik was fu-” A loud grunt, followed by a short yell of pain, came from upstairs and echoed throughout the hallway. “I don’t have time for this,” Peter muttered.  
He ran up to Susan, removed the gun from her hand, and gently nudged her backward. As soon as he came back to Scott’s side, Susan was already flying across the hallway and landing in an empty cell. He began to move out Scott’s cell when he noticed that the mutant was frozen with an unreadable expression on his face.  
“Come on! We don’t have much time before-” An screeching alarm erupted, filling the once empty and silent area. “Scott! We don’t have all day!!!”  
Scott shook himself out of his stupor and ran along side Peter to free the two remaining mutants.   
‘ _Thanks for the warning, Charles,_ ’ Peter sarcastically said as he was running down the hallway.  
‘ _My apologies._ _I was watching over Erik and forgot to warn you_.’  
He continued to make his way down towards the cell. Once they reached it, Peter felt a pair of hands push him away from the metal door.  
“Stand back,” Scott quietly said.  
Peter ran behind him and watched with awe as the once indestructible-looking lock sudden melted like warm butter. The red beam was almost painful to look at, but Peter couldn’t remove his eyes from haunting color. After a few seconds, Scott quickly covered his eyes with the white cloth and straightened up. The metal door opened slightly and revealed a mutant, who was covered in tattoos, peeking out of the door.  
“Come with us if you want to live... man, that sounded a lot better in the trailer.”  
The tattooed mutant nodded and quickly followed them to the next cell. While they were running, Peter was surprised by the fact that Scott was running perfectly alongside them, even with layers and layers of heavy cloth wrapped around him.  
“How are you seeing all of this?”  
“Charles is directing me. He’s basically acting as my eyes.”  
Peter smiled and made his way towards the second cell. While Scott was preparing to break down the second door, a huge wave of guards dressed in black and white, all with machine guns, charged into the hallway, effectively blocking the stairway.   
“Freeze!” one of them shouted. “Do not move or we’ll put you down on sight!”  
Peter smirked and was instantly at the soldiers’ sides. He made quick work of taking the magazines out of each gun before a single bullet could be shot. Once he was satisfied that none of the guns would fire any bullets, he grabbed each guard and pushed them into a single cell...the cell Susan was still lying in. One by one, the row of guards vanished from the stairs and landed into the now crowded cell. He ran towards the office, grabbed the cell keys under the piles of paper, ran back to the cell door, and quickly locked it. He put the keys back into his pocket and ran back to Scott’s side, whose beam was still traveling towards the lock. Time seemed to go back to it’s normal pace, for the sound of grunting, cursing, and yelling could easily be heard from the cell.   
“You did all of that in less than fifteen seconds?” the tattooed mutant asked in shock.  
“You bet your ass I did."  
Before he could comprehend what was going on, a guard came from behind Peter and wrapped his arm around his throat, cutting off his air. Peter struggled to get the guard off of him, but the struggle only lasted for a couple of seconds. Vomit suddenly erupted from the guards mouth and, eventually, he collapsed onto the ground, vomit still pouring out of his mouth. Peter regained control of his breathing and stared at the tattooed mutant, whose palm was facing the vomiting guard. The mutant looked at the speedster and smiled.  
“I’m Ink."  
“I'm Peter. And that’s Scott.”  
“Kind of busy here,” the mutant replied as he was finishing melting the lock away.  
One moment later, the lock melted and the door opened, revealing a yellowish-green looking mutant with wrinkly skin.  
“Since we’re doing introductions, name's Mortimer Toynbee...but just call me Toad.”  
“Alrighty, is everyone here?”  
Once he got nods of approval, as well as a silent one from Charles, he motioned everyone to follow him up the stairs. As they were making their way up, Peter noticed that Toad was actually leaping a good amount of feet ahead of the group, disarming approaching guards with his slimy tongue.  
“Impressive.”

As soon as they reached the main floor, Scott pointed downwards towards the back entrance. “The jet's over there.”  
Peter and the rest of them began to run towards the direction Scott had led them to. Peter busted through the back door and was greeted by the sight of a blue-haired creature attacking three guard whose guns were trained on him. Peter rushed over to the mutant’s aid and pushed the final guard away from the jet, sending him flying into a trash can. To Peter’s surprise, the mutant slowly lost it’s color and hair, eventually revealing Hank. At first, Pietro stood in shock. But, once his brain fully processed what he saw, the biggest smile appeared on his face.   
“Poindexter? Holy shit, I didn’t know you had a dark side! It's just like that moment in _Star Wars_ when Luke found out that his father was actually a Jedi before turned to the Empire. You're not gonna turn on us and join The Dark Side, are you? Then again, it would make my life even more awesome than it already is. Aw man, this is groovy! You could be that one asshole who turns against us and then tries to make us turn as well!”  
Peter was talking so fast that Hank himself just couldn’t comprehend what was coming out of the speedster's mouth.  
“Beast,” a voice said from the jet, “what’s going on out there?”  
A blonde-haired man, who looked a few years older than Peter, appeared from carrier of the jet. However, he froze in place when is blue eyes caught Scott, who didn’t seem to meet his eyes. Slowly, the man walked towards Scott and put his gloved hand up to his neck.  
“Scotty?” the blonde gently whispered. “It’s me...Alex.”  
Scott seemed to freeze as well, trying to take in those words. He then slowly brought up his dirt-covered hand up to Alex’s shoulder, and his fingers seemed to trace his shoulder and face.  
After a few silent moments, Scott smiled. “I know, bro.”  
To everyone's surprise, the two suddenly pulled each other into a tight embrace, Alex protectively wrapping his arms around Scott’s slim frame. After a couple of moments, they pulled apart from each other and smiled.  
“So,” Peter awkwardly chimed in, “I’m guessing you’re both related?”  
Before his question could be answered, a bullet ricocheted from where Alex was standing and hit a wooden crate to his side, nearly hitting Scott. Instantly, Alex pulled Scott behind him and a beam of red energy shot out of his chest, directly hitting the guard who thought it would be wise to shoot at his relative. All of the mutant bystanders had to duck down so that the beam wouldn’t hit them.   
“I'll take that as a yes,” Peter said to himself before nodding at Hank. “Alright, everyone get on the jet. Hank will take you somewhere safe and-”  
“What about you, kid?” Toad asked.  
“I’m taking a car with Erik so security won’t be tempted to follow- Oh shit...”  
Before Hank or anyone else could ask if he was okay, Peter was already back into the facility searching for his father.

Peter ran down the never-ending hallway. Charles suddenly appeared right in front of him.  
‘ _He’s in there_ ,’ he said, pointing at a door to his right.  
Peter nodded and ran into the room. He froze at the sight in front of him.

The room was a lot larger than what it presented itself to look like at the entrance. Everything was white: walls, floor, ceiling, lab coats, goggles. The only things that weren’t white were the silver and blood-covered surgical tools and Erik, who was shirtless and strapped to a plastic gurney. Leather straps locked his head, wrists, and ankles into place, completely immobilizing him. Peter took in Erik’s chocked gasps, drops of water rolling down the sides of his head, and lines of blood that seemed to pool up on his chest. Then...something inside Peter erupted. A feeling burst through him -- a feeling he would get whenever he saw a young kid on the playground bully Lorna. It wasn’t fear or anger; it was protectiveness. Time seemed to slow down considerably as he ran up and around the white walls. He ran as fast as he could in order to gain enough momentum and speed that would cause serious injuries and damage. Once he felt like he was at a fast enough speed, Peter ran down the wall, put all of his weight onto his right shoulder, and rammed himself right into one of the doctors who was about to open Erik up with a scalpel. He then turned around and punched another doctor right in their eye. He ran up the wall again and, this time, kicked another one behind their head. He hoped over a desk and punched another doctor square in the throat. Seeing that there was one doctor left, he ran up to them and pushed them with all of his force. Once he was satisfied that all of the doctors would go flying in the next ten seconds, his eyes found bottles and bottles of a liquid that he assumed was the serum that would erase X-genes. Using a bag that was hanging on a coat rack, Pietro quickly stuffed all of the serums and bottles he could see into the pouch. He knew that Hank would want to study the serum more closely, and possibly create something that would counter the drug. Once he was finished, he made his way to Erik and began to unwrap the straps, a task that was easier said than done. Like he predicted, all of the doctors went flying in multiple directions. He could hear glass shattering, cracks, squishes, and crunches, but none of that really mattered to him. Right now, all he wanted was to get out of here with Erik before anything worse could happen. After a couple of curses and grunts, Peter finally undid all of the straps. He helped Erik sit up and steady him as the effects of whatever they had done to him begun to wear off. When Erik finally regained control of his senses, he scanned over the scene of doctors lying on the floor, bleeding and moaning in pain.  
“Were you responsible for all of this?” he weakly asked.  
“Yeah,” Peter said without remorse, “and although I would love to stay here and listen to a lecture about great power and responsibility, I think we should get outta dodge. Now!”  
Erik nodded and wrapped his arm around his son’s shoulders. Peter grabbed the back of Erik’s head and before they knew it, they were standing right in front of the car they arrive in. He quickly yet gently guided his father to the passenger's seat, ran to the driver’s seat, threw the bag filled with the contents into the back seat, and sped off into the distance.

He never noticed a muscular blue and grey mutant watching his every move from the distance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The characters may seem out of character (sorry about the wording there), so I'm sorry about that.
> 
> Next chapter will be light and there will be a lot of dialogue (and possibly bonding) between Erik and Peter (this may be the chapter where he finally accepts the name Pietro).
> 
> Questions/Comments/Concerns/Insults/Thoughts of love?? *whispers* Write em' down below ;)
> 
> Take Care and Party Hard :0)


	8. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all :0)
> 
> Here is another chapter! This was the hardest one to write so far because I wanted the dialogue between Peter and Erik to fit how they would talk in the film. I probably failed pretty hard, so I'm sorry about that :/
> 
> Warning: Grammatical/Spelling errors and possibly slight OOC-ness!
> 
> I hope you enjoy!

**(March 6, 1983. 01:00 PM)**  
For the tenth time within the past minute, Peter rubbed his heavy eyelids in a vain attempt to keep himself awake. For the past two hours, he'd been driving down endless roads with his father, who was still passed out in the passenger's seat beside him. Considering that he was drugged with some powerful serum while being carved open, Peter could understand why Erik would want to sleep it off. Since they escaped the lab, Peter’s mind was focused on two things: getting back to the mansion and what the doctor said to him earlier.  
_'A better world for humans around the world.'_  
Those words still rang in his ear and seemed to be on an endless loop. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t really figure out how the world would be better if mutants didn’t exist. Before Erik came along, mutants and humans lived in “harmony”; in other words they avoided each other like a plague. Their ignorant fears of each other and undying protectiveness over the ones closest to them justified the lack of communication both parties had. However, once Erik declared war on humans (and vise versa), both parties began to discover the physical and mental strength they hadn’t seen within themselves before, not only raising the stakes for survival for both sides...but also giving some hints of hope that one side will come out as the dominant species in the long run. And although Peter hated to admit it, Erik’s speech brought out the best in mutants; they’ve started to gain the courage to show off their powers for bad, as well as good. And, although he would never admit this to his father, he had some respect for the old man. He was the first mutant he’d ever witnessed who wasn’t afraid to show the full extent of what he could do. Before he could continue to silently praise Erik, the sound of metal moaning and twisting erupted the silence in the car.

Peter looked up and saw that the outer interior of the car began to crumble and bend. Peter tried to keep driving, but the sharp metal frame that threatened to impale his neck forced him to pull the car over to the side of the road. He then looked at Erik and was surprised to see his brow scrunched up. Either he was in pain or currently trapped in a nightmare. Peter’s suspicions of a nightmare were confirmed when Erik began to mumble in German, a language Peter had no experience with. Thinking on his feet, he began to shake Erik in an attempt to wake him up.  
“Erik,” he called out, “come on man! Wake up!! Dude, you’re destroying the car and crushing the radio! Trust me when I say this, the car ride will become a lot more hellish if the radio is gone! Erik!!”  
Knowing that he wasn’t reaching the man, Peter sighed and punched Erik right in the throat, instantly earning him a punch right in his eye. Both mutants clutched their bruised areas and shot back against their seats, cursing and moaning in pain.  
“What…” the newly awakened Erik began as he rubbed his throat, “the hell...are...you...doing?!”  
“Look at the car!” Peter shot back as he covered his now black eye with his hand.  
Erik shook his head and noticed the damaged he was inflicting on the impala. He instantly shot his hands outwards and the car quickly shifted back to its original form, this time with slightly cracked glass and small dents littered around the outer surface. After the two mutants calmed down, they both glared at each.  
“Do you always punch someone who’s trying to rest?”  
“Only if they’re about to crush someone to death.” An awkward beat followed. “Sorry. I tried to get you back from lala land, but you weren’t waking up. So I just punched you in-”  
“I can connect the dots, Pietro.”  
“Seriously, Peter isn’t a hard name to fuck up, yet you all somehow manage to do so.”  
“And I’m sorry as well,” Erik continued, “for punching you in the eye.”  
“Eh, it’s cool. At least I can now tell my friends that I got into an awesome fight!”  
“They won’t believe your story for a second.”  
“And how would you know?”  
Erik smiled and grabbed his son’s hand, turning it so his knuckles would be facing upwards for both of them to see. “Although you’ve sustained a facial wound to your eye, your knuckles are still in fair condition. Unless you want your allies to believe that you submitted yourself to their will, your knuckles must also have some kind of laceration or bruising.”  
“...So basically they need to have some kind of proof that I actually fought back.”  
“Yes.”  
“Huh...that’s actually kind of smart. Thanks.”  
“Do not think that this exchange of information gives you permission to purposefully get yourself into trouble.”  
“I know I know.”  
Peter tore his hand from Erik’s grip and leaned back against the door, taking in what his father just told him.  
“I’m guessing that you’ve been in some fights in order to know all of this.”  
“Just a bar fight or two,” Erik slyly replied. He switched the topic. “I could drive if you prefer.”  
“That would be nice."  
They got out of the car and switch seats, being cautious of not slamming the doors too hard because of the cracked glass. Before Erik started the engine, he threw on the dark purple jean shirt he was originally wearing before they arrived at the facility back in Providence. Once he was dressed and seated, Erik glanced at his son to make sure he was in the car before he began the car and drove off into the distance.

Half an hour into the car ride, Erik noticed that his son’s eyes were struggling to remain open, as if he was forcing himself to stay awake. He smiled.  
“You can rest for a while,” he said, his eyes not leaving the road. “I’ve got this covered.”  
Peter yawned. “You sure? Cause’ I don’t want to wake up crushed underneath the car with metal imbedded in my throat.”  
“I’ve already had my rest. I think you deserve some.”  
Peter smirked and leaned back against the leather interior. The soft road carrying the car across the scenic hills, plus the unusual feeling of protection he felt beside Erik, slowly lulled him to sleep. He lowered the cap he was wearing so that it would cover his eyes and block out the ray of sunlight that kept blinding him. He sighed and found himself being pulled into the depths of oblivions. The last thing he heard Erik softly humming a tune...a very familiar tune. One that he just couldn't put his finger on. He tried to guess what it was and where it came from, but sleep quickly overpowered his senses.  
He was out.

 _Peter opened his eyes to find himself standing a couple of feet away from a medical table that held the body of a woman who couldn’t be identified. He looked around and realized that he was in the exact same lab that Erik was being held in while he got tested on. Peter moved forward and froze what, or rather who, was lying on the table._  
_His mother was naked, leather straps covering her privates as well as locking her in place. Lacerations, bruises, and blood covered her entire upper half, covering scars that were littered across her body._  
_“Mom!” the young mutant screamed._  
_He moved forward to try to reach her but was stopped by a metal cage that stood as barrier between him and her. He slid his fingers between the openings located all around the cage and shook it with all of his strength._  
_“MOM! MOM!”_  
_He refused to halt his shaking, even if his fingers were bleeding heavily. He continued to shake the cage and scream for his mom. After a couple of minutes, he caught something from the corner of his eye and froze. To his left, he saw Lorna holding her favorite purple stuffed bunny and sitting on the rocking chair that was in her nursery. He slowly let go of the cage and walked as close as he could towards her. He smiled at the sight of his little sister playing in the chair._

 _“Lorna,” he quietly said, “I’m right here. It’s-”_  
_Suddenly, a woman who he identified as Susan from Providence stood at the left side of Lorna, a handgun in hand. Peter felt rage boil up in him and he repeated his process of grabbing the cage and shaking it with all of his might. He watched with rage and horror as Susan slowly loaded the gun with bullets, her eyes never leaving his. Realizing that shaking the cage wasn’t achieving anything, he decided to ram his entire right side against the cage in an attempt to break the barrier. He put all of his weight, heart, and rage into his right side and continued to ram against the cage, still ending with the same results. He was about to try again when he saw Susan pointing the gun straight at Lorna’s skull._  
_“No,” he whispered._  
_Susan cocked the gun and smiled at Peter, who was on the verge of tears._  
_“NO! YOU STUPID BITCH, GET AWAY FROM HER!!!” The human continued to stare at him, as if she was mocking him. “PLEASE DON’T!! PLEASE!”_  
_Lorna began to cry when the barrel of the gun touched her skull, causing Peter to nearly collapse with grief._  
_“PLEASE!”_  
_She shrugged her shoulders and pulled the trigger._

“Lorna!” Peter quietly gasped as he jolted back into the real world.  
He rapidly blinked his eyes in order to clear the sleep away from his brain and adjust to the sudden change of light. He took a couple of silent deep breaths in order to calm himself down and prevent himself from hyperventilating. Once he was sure that he was okay, he moved his eyes upwards and found himself staring right into Erik’s blue ones. Confused, Peter moved his head downwards and realized that his head was resting against Erik’s right bicep while the rest of his body was tilted towards Erik. Figuring out that he slept against Erik, he quickly shot up from his position and leaned against his own door frame that was still bent from Erik’s own nightmare. He looked out the window to avoid Erik’s concerned eyes.  
“Are you alright?” Peter simply cleared his throat, still avoiding eye contact. “Do you want to share your nightmare with me?”  
“Why would I want to do that?” Peter asked, finally meeting Erik’s gaze.  
“Talking about traumatic events has been known to be therapeutic and comforting.”  
“I’m sure it has,” Peter replied unconvinced.  
“Pietro-”  
“Look, if you really want to know what I was dreaming, why don’t you ask Charles to read my thoughts or whatever the hell he does?”  
“We’ve already asked enough from him for one day.”  
“Erik, you wouldn’t under- just drop it, okay?”  
“You’re my son and-”  
“You’re worried about me, right? That's a first...” After a beat, Peter lightened up. “Okay, I’ll tell you what I dreamt if you tell me what you dreamt about.”  
“Excuse me?’”  
“Talking about traumatic events has been known to be therapeutic and comforting,” Peter shot back in a horrible accent to mock Erik. "Come on, man. You know you want to. Don't bottle up those feelings. Come-"  
Erik pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. “Fine. You first. What'd you dream about?”  
"Nothing weird or anything. Just my mom as a lab rat and Lorna getting shot point blank in the head." Erik's confused and concerned-filled gaze prompted Peter to clear his throat before beginning his explanation. “My mom was back in the lab in Providence being experimented on. She was covered in cuts, bruises, and scars that kind of matched what you looked like when I found you back there. I was trapped in a cage that prevented me from reaching her and Lorna, who suddenly appeared out of the blue. She was playing until Susan, the office chick in the lab, took out her gun and…”  
Peter couldn’t get that last part out; it was just too painful for him to re-encounter that awful moment.  
“That explains why you called out her name when you woke up."  
“Nice deduction, Sherlock. Sorry if my dream's kind of-”  
“You should never apologize for fearing about the safety of your loved ones.”  
“I guess. So I'm gonna take a wild guess and say that you've had similar dreams as well?”  
“Too many to count."  
“Who was in your dream a couple of hours ago?”  
“Someone.”  
“Uhh, you wanna elaborate or-”  
“Someone I loved dearly and would’ve died for. My time with her was cut short due to...unfortunate circumstances.”  
“Who was she?”  
“She was…” Realizing that he was getting too personal, Erik ended to conversation. “That’s enough for now.”  
Peter, on the other end, could see the distress in his father’s eyes as he told his story. And while he would usually nag anyone who kept secrets from him until they lost their patience and told said secret out of frustration, he decided that he wouldn’t push Erik even more. After all, the old man was still recovering from being tortured.  
“Fine.” A beat of silence. “Hey man, I’m sorry about your dream.”  
“Your condolences are appreciated. And I’m sorry about your nightmare.”  
“Thanks.”

Erik and Peter looked away from each other for second in order to try to figure out what to say next. Considering that they both revealed some deep shit, they weren’t sure how to proceed. The only thing they both knew was that they were done with the personal stories, for the time being at least.  
“So did anything happen while I was asleep? Did you bend the car into unimaginable shapes? Did you hit any hitchhikers who were walking on the side of the road? Did you have another run in with the police and throw their cars in the air?”  
“Your expectations are a little extreme. None of that nonsense occurred while you were resting.”  
“Damn it."  
“However I did have a talk with Charles and he was quite impressed with your actions back at the lab.”  
“R-Really?”  
“Yes. He was extremely pleased with how quickly you dealt with everyone in the lab without any casualties or serious damage. He also praised your leadership abilities.”  
“Leadership abilities? Sounds kind of cheesy if you ask me.”  
“He sees a lot of potential in you,” Erik warmly said.  
“Well...good for him!” Peter gave Erik a thumbs up. “What about you?”  
“Beg your pardon?”  
“Well, how do you think I did? I mean, you were probably drugged out of your skull, so you probably didn't get to see me in action. Plus, I don't really care or-”  
“You were exceptional.”  
“Wait, what?”  
“Your performance back there was exceptional.”  
“I can’t tell if you actually mean it or if you’re mocking me.”  
“Have you never received praise before?”  
“No. But that’s because nobody’s been quick enough to see me in action. Can’t give anyone praise if you can’t see what they did.”  
“Valid argument.” A pause. “Thank you for saving me back there.”  
“Eh, Charles would’ve killed me if I didn’t get you out of there. And I have a good feeling he could cause some pretty heavy damage with his powers.”  
“Charles? He couldn’t hurt a fly even-”  
“Didn’t he punch you back in the elevator back at D.C?”  
“There’s a difference between a punch and destroying someone’s mind.”  
Peter swallowed. “No shit. Have you ever seen him do...that?”  
“No. But there have been instances where he’s erased minds.”  
“Really?”  
“Or rather, just memories. However, memories can expand as far as childbirth, so the consequence of erasing a memory can be devastating.”  
Peter swallowed and looked out his window, taking in the new information. He turned back to Erik.  
“And also, I wanted to get you out of there. I heard you screaming and I wanted to help you out...even if you’ve been a dick to me and the rest of the world this past decade.”  
“I’m flattered,” Erik said unamused. He still smiled though.  
“So... here's a random question: why do you all keep calling me Pietro?”  
“It has a more sophisticated and dignified sound to it compared to Peter.”  
“Does it have a specific meaning?”  
“Rock.”  
“Rock? You think I’m a mineral?”  
“In a symbolic sense, yes. I think you’re strong. And wise: at times a little dull, but wise none the less. Whether or not you’re dependable, that will be determined in the future.”  
“Huh. Pietro Maximoff... not bad. A little goofy sounding, but not as bad as I thought it would be.”  
“Will you keep the name?”  
“We’ll see…”  
Peter smiled at his dad and turned on the radio. The air was now filled with news broadcasters talking about another attack in Rhode Island.

_**Numerous Injuries. Catastrophic Property Damage. Rising Death Toll.** _

“The attack was right outside where we were,” Peter said.  
“I know. Whoever the mutant is, they’re fast and efficient.”  
“They’re not traveling in a consistent path.”  
“That’s the problem: there’s no paradigms in the chosen locations. This became a lot more difficult than I expected.”  
“Don’t worry, Magnet-O. You’ve got Vader Blue-Balls, Hairy the Cigar-Smoking Lumberjack, Mind-Fucker, and me…”  
“Quicksilver?” As Erik’s suggestion left his mouth, he noticed his son’s smile rise even higher.  
“Yeah...Quicksilver. We’ve got your back!” Peter patted Erik painfully on his shoulder.  
Although a big grin appeared on Erik’s face, he still remained pessimistic about the situation.“Why do I feel like this partnership will be the death of me?”  
“Because we’re going to be too awesome for your pacemaker to handle.”  
Peter switched the radio station and the song _Bad Moon Rising_ filled the air. The impala drove underneath the evening sky, heading towards the mansion.

_**Meanwhile  
** _

**(March 6, 1983. 03:40 PM)  
** Within the ruins of what was once Warwick, Rhode Island, sat a built and muscular blue and grey mutant. He sat in the middle of the now empty and almost destroyed Royal Mills, His bright and dangerous red eyes were staring off into the distance, while he mind continued to come back to the silver-haired mutant he saw back in Providence earlier. Smiling, he stood up and walked over to where a naked blue-scaled mutant with yellow, whiteless eyes and red hair stared back at him emotionlessly. What was once Raven Darkholme, or rather Mystique, was now gone completely. Her independent, sassy nature was now replaced with a cold, obedient spirit. It was almost as if she was possessed by something...or someone. ‘Mystique’ noticed her master approaching her, so she straightened her posture and stood ready for what task she would be given.

“He’s the one,” the male mutant said. Although his voice was low and deep, the venom, arrogance, and fury was heard loud and clear. His voice echoed throughout the abandoned complex as he continued, “He reaches a speed no other mutant has reached in the history of mutation.”  
“How do you propose we get him, En Sabah Nur?”  
“It’s simple, Famine,” the mutant answered. “We’ll destroy him...from the inside. We'll break him so he’ll be tempted to use his powers wholly. Then, once the anger and hatred consumes him, that’s when we’ll take him. And I know just how to ignite the inner demon within him.”  
Sabah Nur, better known as The First One, smiled and motioned for Famine to follow him.  
“Come along. We’re heading Washington D.C.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And this is where it all begins with Apocalypse ;)  
> In case anyone is confused, Raven is one of The Four Horsemen. She's possessed by Famine.
> 
> Things will pick up fast and there will be plenty of Erik and Pietro moments (calling him Pietro now because he seems to like the name), as well as Charles and Erik bonding.
> 
> If you have anything good or bad to say about this, please let me know :D 
> 
> Take Care and Party Hard :0)


	9. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all :0)
> 
> Here's another chapter!! It's a time jump, so some time has gone by since the lab mission. Like the previous chapter, there is a lot of dialogues and talking. Just a warning.
> 
> Warning: Grammatical/Spelling errors and possibly slight OOC-ness!!!
> 
> I hope you enjoy!!

**(March 19, 1983. 02:00 PM)  
** Since the “exhilarating” and exciting adventure back in Providence, Rhode Island almost two weeks ago, things both in the world and around the Xavier Mansion have been relatively quiet and low-key much to everyone’s surprise. During the almost silent days, Erik and Charles continued to bicker about peace versus freedom all while playing a game of chess in Charles’ room. Pietro, a name Peter finally accepted, would sometimes watch their games, only to get bored after a minute. After that, he would usually explore the mansion a little bit more, work out (not like he needed to) in an exercise room Charles had, or call his family back in D.C. Since he was further away from his family more than he’s ever been in his entire life, he actually listened to what his mother had to say. Her stories would typically be the same: she did this at work, went home, played with Lorna, and miss her son. Then the conversation would turn to him when she asked what he’s been up to. He explained how during his time in New York, he not only met a bunch of mutants (he left out how he had to basically kidnap, or as Erik called it, “liberate,” them using his powers), but how he also got a tiny bit closer to Erik...not that he would admit it to him out loud. However, Pietro would always rush his side of the story so his mother wouldn’t ask for the details that would probably get him shipped to Siberia on HER order, and also so that he could talk to Lorna on the phone. Lorna’s lexicon currently consisted of burps, coos, and little laughs that would always make Pietro’s heart melt and fly. Even if she couldn’t understand what he was saying, Pietro always played with her on the phone by telling her simple jokes, “scaring her” by yelling in the phone, or ask her questions like, “How are you? Are you raising hell like I asked? Did you meet another baby at the park and give them the famous death-stare?” He knew she wouldn’t reply with a full set of words, but he knew that she was smiling on the receiving end and that was good enough for him. It was after a conversation with Lorna that his mother asked him to hold on for a second. There was a couple of seconds of silence before the sound of ruffling could be heard on the other end. His mother picked up the phone and began to speak.

“Peter,” she began, “is Erik treating you okay?”  
“Yeah Mom,” he said a little too brightly, “he’s not doing anything wrong. I mean, there are times when I wish I could push him off a cliff or give him whiplash, but he’s not that bad.” A pause. “Why are you asking?”  
“No reason! Do you like it there, with Charles and all?”  
“I mean, it’s not the greatest, but it’s also not bad. The man has hundreds of rooms! Oh man, I wouldn’t be surprised if he had tombs or catacombs underneath this place. That would be kind of cool in fact! What if he murdered someone and stuffed their body underneath the mansion or hid it in some secret room where no one could find it? Then their friends came here to look for them but then got killed as well? There could be a whole ocean of skeletons here that I-”  
“I want you to stay there with them.”  
That instantly shut Pietro up. “W-What? Why?”  
“I saw you on the news a week ago. Something about an attack on a research lab in Providence. There are people after you now and-”  
“How did they see me?!”  
“There was one camera that caught you taking down a group of doctors and scientists who were about to perform an experiment. The camera caught you freeing your father before you both vanished.”  
“An experiment? Mom, they were torturing Erik! I had to stop them before he went ape-shit!”  
“The point is that they saw you helping Erik, a wanted terrorist in America. Everyone here want you and Erik gone. They think you’re conspiring together to cause damage; they think you two are responsible for the recent attacks.”  
“How could anyone believe that we'd be responsible for mass destruction all over the world in less than a month?! I’m beginning to understand why Erik thinks humans are a waste of-”  
“Peter.”  
“Yeah?”  
“I want you to be safe and live a long life. But you can’t do it here... not anymore. You need to stay in New York until everything is cleared up.”  
“When will that be?” Pietro’s voice began to waiver a bit.  
“I don’t know. But until then, we can’t contact each other through any means. Government officials could be tracing this call as we speak. Peter, I love you with all of my heart, but I hope you understand why I’m doing this.”  
Pietro closed his eyes in order to control his temper and, more importantly, his sadness. He wouldn’t be able to see his mother ever again. What was even worse was that he wouldn’t be able to see Lorna ever again: he wouldn’t see her grow up to be either a badass like he hopes she would be, or a kind-hearted, free spirit. He wouldn’t be able to see her take her first steps, say her first words, or raise her like he planned on. He felt like he was abandoning her...just like Erik abandoned him. Taking a shuddery breath, Pietro continued to talk.  
“Yeah, I understand. W-Will you and Lorna be safe?”  
“I’m honestly not sure.”  
“Fine. I’m coming over there now! Just give me a couple of-”  
“No Peter!”  
“Mom, I’m not leaving you alone when people could be hunting you down just because I let myself get caught.”  
“I’m sure that if someone wanted to hurt us, they would’ve done so by now. Also, our family was pretty low-key before the lab incident. Honey, I’m sorry if-”  
“I’m not abandoning Lorna like Erik abandoned me!!” He swore he could hear Lorna crying in the background after he yelled. He instantly regretted raising his voice.  
“Peter, you’re not abandoning me. I’m asking you to do this. Please honey, I’ll be able to sleep better at night knowing that you're safe and out of harm’s way. I’m-”  
“Could I talk to Lorna? Please?”  
“Of course.”  
When Pietro was sure that his mother put the phone she was using on the counter it was usually on, the young mutant pulled away from the phone he was holding and sniffed, trying to get rid of the wet sound that would usually come up whenever he cried. He wanted to be strong, like a rock, for his kind’s sake...and for Lorna. He heard the phone being picked up, so he cleared his throat up and lightened up.  
“Hey Lo,” he quietly said, “it’s me again!” He could hear clapping and cooing in the receiver, breaking his heart. “I won’t be back home for a while. I-” Pietro pulled away from the phone and blinked back some tears that were began to sting his eyes. He sniffed. “You’ll probably forget about me when you get older, but I want you to promise me something, okay?” Lorna cooed on the other end. “Promise me that you’ll look after mom and grow up to be whoever you want to be. Just don’t grow up to be like me or Erik...freaks who abandon the people they love. You promise?” There was silence on the other phone, indicating that Lorna was processing what was being said. “I'm so proud of you, Lo. I always have been and always will be. I love you with all of my heart.”  
He heard Lorna being carried away from the phone before his mom came back to the phone.  
“I love you, Peter Maximoff. And I’m so sorry this had to happen.”  
“I love you too,” Pietro quietly whispered. “Goodbye Mom.”

Pietro slowly put the phone back on the dial pad before he picked up the entire set piece and slammed it onto the ground. He was surprised when the phone froze in the air just inches above the ground before hovering back onto the table where it was originally placed. He looked up and saw Charles and Erik standing right behind him with looks of concern, as well as guilt, written on their faces. Pietro just stared back at them.  
“How much did you hear?”  
“Plenty,” Charles said. He wheeled himself closer to Pietro but stopped when the younger mutant backed away from the two. “Pietro, I’m sorry that our mission interfered with your personal life.”  
“Interfered?” Pietro asked incredulously. “Interfered? Dude, I can never see my family ever again!!”  
“Pietro,” Erik softly chimed in, “I know how you’re feeling and-”  
“Really?! Do you?!”  
“Yes,” he calmly responded, “I do. But you need to trust your mother's choice."   
“Pietro,” Charles began, “you’ve got to believe us when we say that we’re incredibly sorry and that we didn’t plan on this happening.”  
“I thought Hank hacked into the lab’s security cameras.”  
“We did too. But there must’ve been an error in the programming. If you would like, you and Erik could talk about-”  
“No,” Pietro instantly replied, missing the small look of hurt on Erik’s face. “I’m not talking to anyone about anything. So let’s just drop this and move onto whatever you’ve got planned for me next, okay?” The silence from the older mutants confirmed that they weren’t going to argue with the upset mutant. “Okay...so, what’s next? Who are we, or rather who am I, stealing?”  
Charles shook his head so he would go back into his “leader” mode. “There’s a mutant Hank and Logan are currently recruiting just outside of Maine. They should be back within a couple of hours or so. Once they are back, we’ll have a meeting with all of the mutants here so far and discuss what our next move is. Until then, you’re free to do whatever you want.”  
Pietro quickly nodded before running off, a gust of air blowing past Charles’ and Erik’s face. The two friends began to slowly make their way down a long corridor.

“He’s hurting."  
“Don’t you think I know that?”  
“You need to talk to him.”  
“You heard what the boy said: he doesn’t want to talk to me. I’m not going to push him if he doesn’t want me to.”  
“You’re his father. You need to make an effort to get closer with him so he’ll be closer to-”  
“I have no intention of getting closer to him.”  
“Fine. Just know that by allowing your son to bottle up his emotions, you're potentially creating a self-destructive time bomb that could potentially harm everyone here, including you and me.”  
While Charles continued wheel himself down the hallway, Erik stopped walking and stared at Charles’ back, processing what he was just told.

 **(March 19, 1983. 04:00 PM)**  
Pietro was sitting alone in the surprisingly small kitchen, staring at a glass of water he poured himself. Although his eyes were directed at the sad little glass right sitting between his two hands, his mind was completely somewhere else. His mind kept repeating the entire phone conversation: no matter how hard he tried to push the conversation down, it just kept attacking him mercilessly. He dipped his finger in the untouched water and began to spin it around at neck-breaking speed. The once still water quickly shifted into a whirlwind, creating a small tornado within the glass. Pietro continued to spin the water when he heard someone clear their throat. He looked up and found himself staring at the blonde mutant he encountered back at the lab who was the brother of-  
“Hey,” Pietro said while taking his finger out of the glass.  
“Hey. Having fun?” the blonde mutant asked while pointing at the cyclone forming in the small glass of water.  
“Eh, I wish it could be bigger,” Pietro joked.  
The blonde smiled. "Mind if I sit down?”  
“Feel free.”  
Once the older mutant was seated, he stared at the silver-haired mutant curiously. Pietro, on the other hand, was getting slightly uncomfortable at the awkward silence.  
“So,” he began, “you shoot beams of energy out like your brother.”  
“Yeah. You can thank genetics for that one.”  
“I can’t lie, you two have a sick ability. I mean, I can only imagine all of the damage you both have caused.” The older mutant glared at Pietro. “Just kidding. You don’t seem like a bad dude.”  
“You make that assumption after meeting me one time?”  
“I mean, if protecting your little brother from a bullet and then roasting the shooter’s ass doesn’t make you a good person, then I take it back.”  
The other smiled and extended his arm over the table so his hand could reach the silver-haired mutant’s. “I’m Alex.”  
“Peter...or rather, ‘Pietro.’ Everyone else can’t seem to memorize Peter, so I’m just sticking with Pietro.”  
“Not a bad name. It’s different, I’ll give you that.”  
“To be fair, you and I are already different from half of society. So I guess it all fits together.”  
Alex snorted. “Yeah. You know saved my brother’s life back there, right?”  
“Of course! I mean, sure all I had to do was infiltrate a highly secured research lab, steal some keys, unlock a couple of cells, take down thirty guards, bring them to a jet where the big blue hairy giant was, dodge a fatal beam of red energy that shot out of your chest, run back into the lab, grab Erik, run back to our car with his dead weight, and get away from the property in less than ten seconds! So yeah, I’m fully aware that I saved someone’s ass back there,” Pietro joked. He sobered up after a while. “Seriously though, it was no problem at all. Technically, Charles was the one who suggested the plan, so I guess the credit should go to him. Plus, Scott also helped.”  
“My brother keeps talking about how you took down nearly twenty five guards in less than ten seconds. Super speed?”  
Pietro nodded. “And metabolism.”  
“You can’t get drunk?”  
“Oh, I can get drunk... after twenty bottles that is. It just takes more time for the drunk feeling to become noticeable. Also, I sober up pretty fast after.”  
“Huh. So I guess me saying, ‘I owe you a beer,’ won’t affect anything?”  
“Nope,” Pietro said cheerfully.  
Alex and Pietro looked back down at the counter, trying to find something else to talk about. Pietro didn’t know anything about Alex, and Alex knew more about the speedster than the mutant expected. Deciding to ask a question that’s been on his mind since he learned about the relationship between Pietro and Erik, he cleared his throat and began.  
“What’s it like having Erik as a dad?”  
Pietro looked up from the counter. “Meh, he’s not that bad. Sure he abandoned me, killed a President, attacked the White House, almost killed another President, appeared back into my life in order to take me away from my family, and now just made my own mom abandon me...but he’s not so bad.”  
“Wait, what do you mean your mom abandoned you just now?”  
“Look, if you’re here because Charles or Erik sent you-”  
“They didn’t send me. I came here because I wanted to finally meet the mutant who saved my brother!”  
Pietro felt bad for accusing Alex of being an owl, or whatever mammal delivers messages. “I’m sorry. It’s just been a rough day.”  
“It’s cool, man. We all have them.”  
“...Last week, security footage was released and it showed me helping Erik escape the lab while he was hurt. Everyone back home saw the footage think that I’m working with Erik to destroy mankind. Because of this, my mom wants me to stay away from home to be safe. Now I can’t see her, or my baby sister, ever again.”  
Something connected in Alex’s mind that made him sit up straighter in his seat. He had no idea that the mutant had a little sister and how much he had to lose just because a single video was released to the world. If he lost Scott, he wouldn’t know where he would be. Either he’d be on a much darker path, or simply gone. His little brother meant everything to him and almost losing him in the lab made him go insane. So now, sitting in front of a mutant who lost his mother and baby sister after a single phone call made him feel very guilty...but also privileged. He would never take his brother for granted again. He looked at Pietro with sympathy and smiled.  
“Hey man, I’m sure your mom just wants to protect you.”  
“I know that! I just feel like I’m pulling an Erik on Lorna, you know?”  
“Lorna?”  
“My sister.”  
“Well hey, I’m sure she’ll be able to take care of herself and visit you from-”  
“She’s one years old.”  
“Oh...Listen, you’re not abandoning her: you’re keeping her safe. If you ask me, that makes you better than the average brother. You care about her to the point where you’re willing to leave them! Makes me feel like a shitty brother.”  
“At least you tried to find Scott. At least you can still see Scott and be by his side. Man, he’s lucky to have someone who’s been with him since he was born.”  
“So maybe you won’t get to see her grow up. But as long as you come back to her and explain what happened, I’m sure she’ll forgive you and think that you’re a great older brother.”  
“I agree,” a new voice chimed in.

While Pietro turned around to see who the stranger was, Alex looked up and found himself staring at Erik, his former mentor and now semi-enemy. Hey, Erik was willing to get himself tortured to get his brother back, so the older brother couldn’t say Erik was completely bad.  
“Hey Erik."  
“Alex,” Erik regarded. “How’s Scott doing with the new visor Hank made him?”  
“He has more control over his powers, I will say that. But he still needs more work.”  
“I’m sure he’s in great hands,” Erik said, earning him a warm smile from Alex. “If you don’t mind, I would like to speak to my son in private.”  
Alex glanced at Pietro to silently ask him if he’ll be alright with Erik. Pietro nodded. Alex got up from where he was sitting and made his way down to the danger room where his brother was practicing using the visor. Before he left, he patted Pietro on the back of his shoulders.  
“It was nice talking to you, man. Remind me to get you that beer, okay?”  
“Sure thing, dude."  
He was now alone with his father...and the awkwardness wasn’t as noticeable as Pietro originally thought. Compared to previous conversations they’ve had, Erik seemed more prepared as to what he was going to say. He cleared his throat and sat down across from his son.  
“Pietro...I’m truly sorry about what happened today. I know that you blame Charles, Hank, and I for what happened and we completely understand. But I need you to know something, alright?” Pietro stared at his father with curious eyes. “Alex, as naive as he can be, is right. Sometimes you have to leave the people you love in order to ensure their safety and happiness. I know how difficult this decision is and how painful it feels: I’ve had to make that decision several times throughout my life. But you’re still young...and so is Lorna. I promise you that one day you’ll get to see her again and, when you do and tell her about why you had to leave her, she’ll love you even more than she already does.”  
This was the first time in Pietro’s life where words of comfort actually had some effect on him. Erik’s, along with Alex’s, words stuck into his heart. Although he still didn’t believe that he was a better person because of his decisions, he knew that he was doing this for Lorna. That was his job as an older brother, to keep her safe by any means necessary, including letting go of her. Pietro nodded and smiled.  
“Thanks man.” After long pause, he asked, "Do you think Mom wants me here because...she’s afraid of me?”  
Erik smiled and lowered his head so Pietro would meet his own eyes. “If she feared you, she would’ve left you a long time ago. She cares about you deeply and just wants you to be safe.”  
“Yeah, sure,” Pietro said, unconvinced.  
Erik could tell that Pietro was still upset about the whole ordeal. Suddenly, he had an idea.  
“Have you seen The Danger Room yet?”  
“The whater what?”  
Erik smiled. “Come with me, Pietro. I think you’ll find it very fitting for your skills’ needs. I could set up some dummies and you can exercise your powers.”  
“I already know how they work,” Pietro said confidently. Despite his statement, he still got up from his seat and began to follow Erik.  
“Like all mutants, our powers continue to evolve with age. You may not have discovered your full abilities yet! Thank Charles that The Room was built for us to practice in.”  
“Will I get to see you in action? You know, taking apart dummies? Impaling them with all of the metal in the room? Tossing them thousands of feet in the air?”  
“Possibly,” Erik slyly replied with a big smirk on his face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted Alex and Pietro to bond in this chapter!! Their possible friendship will play a role in the story as it progresses :0)  
> Also, the next chapter will be very emotional and sad (I hope)!! Also, it WILL be long :/ However, the next chapter was the idea that started this whole story in my mind. I built the entire story around the next chapter :) So it will be more detailed, as well as slightly confusing!
> 
> Questions/Comments/Concerns/Insults/Thoughts of love??? Please write them down (if you want) :D


	10. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all :0)
> 
> Here is the LONG and (hopefully) emotional chapter that outlined the rest of the story when I originally came up with it. There is A LOT of talking in this one, as well as bonding :)
> 
> Warning: Grammatical/Spelling errors and possibly slight OOC-ness!!
> 
> I hope you enjoy!!!

**(April 3, 1983. 09:30 AM)**  
A young couple walked into the Washington DC Police Department located west of Pleasant Plains. The young gentleman had raven, wavy hair that almost went down to his shoulders. His eyes were dark brown, so dark that they almost mirrored Pietro’s eyes by having black irises. He was wearing a grey suit with a blue tie that heavily contrasted the main suit. Beside him was a young woman with bright blonde hair and enchanting blue eyes. She was wearing more casual clothes: a white tank top hidden underneath a brown velvet jacket, blue jeans, and some brown boots. They approached the main desk and the young man knocked on the glass window to grab the receptionists attention.  
“Can I help you?” the young, female receptionist asked.  
“I’m looking for the address to Peter Maximoff’s house? I understand that he lives nearby and I need to see his family.”  
“I’m sorry, but we’re not authorized to share that information.”  
“I saw the security footage released a couple of weeks ago. I understand that he’s not normal: he can run faster than the speed of sound. I understand that he may be plotting against the rest of humanity with that terrorist, Erik Lehnsherr. And I also know that everyone in this department wants those two, as well the mutant species, wiped from this planet.”  
That caught the receptionist's, as well other policemen and women’s, attention. One officer approach the young man.  
“You make that assumption because-”  
“-because I know the pride and arrogance each and everyone one of you standing in the office possesses. My partner and I have some. Every species, mutant or human, has something inside them that makes them prideful...and when their pride is taken away from them, they become bitter, corrupt, and vengeful.” The young man moved away from his partner and proceeded to walk towards a couple of cops. “When Erik nearly destroyed the White House and almost claimed the life of Nixon, you all couldn’t get to him. You all didn’t stop him. He made a mockery out of the system and it worked. I know you all want to see the freaks who humiliated you buried ten feet underground. And I can help…”  
“Sir,” another cop said. “we understand your concern about us. But you cannot make those assumptions. It’s not fair and-”  
“-the world isn’t fair, my friend. And that’s why I’m here...to fix it. I want to create a world where our kind can thrive and where the strong will prevail. That is a fair world.”  
“Sir, I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”  
“The first step is to purge the weak like yourselves and break the strong like Peter. I’ll give you all one more chance: tell me where Peter is or-”  
“Sir, get out of-”  
“-Fine.”  
Suddenly, the young man quickly transformed into a seven foot mutant with a blue body and grey head. His muscles tore through the grey suit with ease. He grabbed one cop by their throat a smiled.  
“The world will only be fair if one species thrives. And that species is my kind.”  
He crushed the cops as if it were jelly. As the cops pulled out their guns, a naked, blue mutant with red hair and pupil-less yellow eyes attacked them and took half of them down with ease. The “battle” lasted for seconds! When the last cop was killed, Famine and his leader stared at the bloody scene in front of them.  
“Now that the cops are taken care of,” the bigger mutant stated, “nothing will prevent us from getting to Peter’s family.”  
“There are other mutants in the area as well,” Famine stated. “Should we grab them?”  
“We’ll see. But right, our main priority is to rid this state of as many humans as we can...and break the speedster.”

 **(April 3, 1983. 09:50 AM)**  
Back in Westchester, New York, the entire group of mutants were sitting the one of many large living rooms in the mansion. The number of occupants that occupied increased since the lab mission. Along with Alex, Scott, Ink, Toad, as well as the original occupants of the mansion, five more mutants resided in the large mansion.  
Cain Marko, are as he called himself, Juggernaut, was extremely resentful of humans and very aggressive towards the other mutants. However, he was also extremely active and seemed motivated to help out the older mutants with their cause, which amused Charles and Erik.  
Then there was Layla Miller, a young girl who could not only breathe fire, but who had devil horns. Pietro was strangely captivated by her appearance and made efforts to get closer to her...he was always rejected. However, he and her had a pretty strong relationship prior to their meeting.  
Squirrel Girl, a six year old who Pietro happened to come across by luck when he was out looking for another mutant who unfortunately perished, had enhanced everything: speed, reflexes, strength, and agility. She also had small but painfully sharp claws that replaced what would usually be fingernails...she could also talk to squirrels. So, there would be times when Logan, Charles, or Hank would find her sitting outside in the large field that led to the satellite, just watching and talking to the squirrels. According to her, as well as Hank, squirrels think creatures bigger than them are fucked up.  
Dallas Gibson was a bright kid who got along very well with the new, as well as older, occupants at the mansion. He had the ability to merge with his own shadow, giving him enhanced speed and agility. Erik and Logan constantly paid close attention to him in case he decided to wander off and remain hidden, although that was unlikely.  
Finally, there was Ororo Munroe, an optimistic young mutant who controlled weather, lightning, ocean currents, and more. According to Pietro, she was basically God. Plus, she had beautiful silver hair, which matched Pietro’s to some degree. Her abilities, as well as bright personality, struck Charles and he would eventually become great friends with the younger mutant.  
Pietro and Erik also became closer (although both of them wouldn’t admit it out loud to each other). They would practice using their powers in The Danger Room, eat together once in a while, and even just talk about random stuff, ranging from hidden secrets in the mansion to their lives before they met each other ten years ago. However, the main thing that kept bothering Pietro was how little Erik talked about his own past -- no matter how hard he tried, Erik would never mention anything extremely personal to the younger mutant, which hurt a little bit. Sure, he wasn’t expecting his father to pour his soul out to him, but he at least expected to make some progress, in terms of trust. Besides that road block, Pietro began to enjoy being around Erik not only because they got closer, but mainly because he was the first person he’s ever meant who would let him use his powers to their full extent. During their time in The Danger Room, Pietro would take apart dummies in less that two seconds: he would also catapult them over fifty yards if he gained enough momentum and speed. And, to be perfectly honest, he had no idea just how strong and powerful he actually was! And having the ability to see his full potential was fresh and freeing, making him feel stronger. However, Erik and Charles constantly warned him to not get drunk off of his powers, for it could lead to corruption and abuse of power. Pietro vowed that he would never fully use his powers to hurt someone unless it was an extreme emergency.

All of the older mutants were sitting in the living room, just talking about the next step and where to go, when a new broadcast on the television set caught Pietro’s ears.

_**Deadly Attack in Washington DC! Hundreds Killed!!! Thousands Injured! Four Missing** _

Everyone became silent when they heard that announcement. They stared in horror at the destruction that was being broadcasted from a helicopter live on the scene. And then, Pietro froze when one of the shots showed his home town completely destroyed.  
“Oh my god,” he breathed, “that’s where I lived. Lorna!”  
Erik moved to sit next to his son in order to get a better view to see if Pietro’s statement was correct. And, to his horror, he was right. Something else caught his eye...something blue. He squinted down to see Raven attacking and killing dozens of citizens without any hesitation. He leaned back in anguish and called for Charles.  
“Charles,” he said, “Raven is down there.”  
Charles and Hank moved closer to the TV and, when they saw Raven killing dozens people, dropped their jaws to the ground. Alex and Logan didn’t make any moves to head closer to the TV, but they were also very distressed at the news.  
“Jesus Christ,” Logan breathed out.  
After a moment of silence, save for the news broadcast on TV, Charles wheeled himself away from the screen and addressed the mutants. “We need to get down there, now!”  
“I’m going down there,” Pietro chimed in, quickly moving towards the door.  
“Pietro-” Charles tried to begin.  
“No! My family is down there! Lorna is down there!! I'm going whether you like it or not!!”  
“I’ll come with you,” Erik said, moving towards his son. “Havok, you’ll come along as well. Charles, use Cerebro to monitor us while we go down there. Try to find any mutant survivors so we can bring them back here.”  
“Fine,” Charles said bitterly. “Logan, stay here with me so we can look after the children.”  
  
Hank, Alex, Pietro, and Erik rushed out of the living room towards the jet. They quickly hopped onto the jet and took off in seconds. As the jet flew away, the occupants inside were dead silent, each one of them silently praying that their worst fears didn’t come true.

 **(April 3, 1983. 10:30 AM)**  
The jet landed on uneven ground right a couple of blocks from where Pietro lived. As soon as the jet’s doors opened, Pietro zipped out of the jet, leaving the remaining mutants in the dust.  
“Pietro!” Erik tried to call out.  
  
He sighed and glanced at Alex, who was also staring at him with worry and anger. He, Erik, and Hank made their way out of the jet and stared at the destruction in shock, confusion, and anger. Bodies by the dozens laid scattered on the street, each one of them littered with a variety of fatal wounds. Blood, both fresh and dry, basically caked the street. The three men slowly began their journey towards Pietro’s old home, anticipating the worst. Alex and Erik particularly feared what they would find once they reached the home: considering that Erik promised the safety of his son’s family, while Alex promised that Lorna would be able to see her older brother again, they both were absolutely horrified of confronting Pietro if the worst occurred. Their trip to his home was incredibly slow because all of the mutants took in the damaged homes and bodies littered on the street. There were some who were, in fact, alive, but none of the mutants had the time, tools, or empathy to help them. Raven, as well as the other mutant responsible for the horrendous attack, could still be nearby and they weren’t even remotely prepared for a confrontation. Finally, they made their way to the entrance of Pietro’s home and took in the enormous damage inflicted on the outer interior of the house. The once beautiful 1980 brown and white station wagon was now crushed and set ablaze. The front door was torn from it’s hinges and shattered into dozens of pieces.  
“There's no way in hell Raven's capable of creating all of this destruction,” Alex said to Erik. “She’s not strong enough.”  
“The bigger threat must've been the one who attacked this place,” Erik finished.  
The three mutants entered the home were instantly greeted by the sight of blood...a lot of blood. The trail of blood started at the entrance and traveled to what Erik assumed was the kitchen. He followed it and froze at the sight of Pietro’s mom’s body. She was slumped against the kitchen counter with an enormous hole right in the center of her stomach. Her spinal cord, as well as other organs, were separated from her body and laid a couple of inches beside her. Blood covered her entire front side, as well as mouth. Alex looked away from the mutilated corpse, unable to stand the gruesome sight. Hank covered his mouth out of shock, but to also prevent vomit from spurting out of his mouth. Erik closed his eyes, automatically knowing that they were too late to save her and-  
The sound of a crash broke him out of his thoughts. He, as well as the other two mutants, looked towards the damaged staircase and realized that the sound was coming from upstairs.  
“Pietro?” Erik asked aloud.  
The sound of another crash, followed by multiple dull thuds could be heard upstairs. The sounds continued for a couple more seconds before curses echoed throughout the house.  
“FUCK FUCK FUCK!” Pietro.  
Without thinking, he ran upstairs to see if his son was alright. When he reached the room he assumed his son was in, he threw the door open and saw two things: a blood-soaked crib and his son repeatedly punching the nursery’s green wall. Erik could see blood appearing on his son’s knuckles due to the number of times he punched the wall...which was a lot. Instinctively, Erik rushed towards his son wrapped both of his long arms around his son’s shoulders and pulled him away from the wall. He would be lying if he said that the task was easy: considering that Pietro was fast and now furious, he automatically fought against his father’s strong grip. However, no matter how hard he tried, Pietro couldn’t break free out of his father’s grip. He was about to run against a wall so Erik would let go of him, but he felt Erik kicking his knees, forcing them both onto the ground.  
“GET OFF OF ME!”  
“Pietro, enough! You’re going to hurt-”  
“I DON’T GIVE A SHIT ABOUT ME! LET GO!!!”  
“Pietro! You need to calm down and-”  
“YOU FUCKING ASSHOLE! YOU PROMISED ME THEY WOULD BE SAFE IF I LEFT THEM!! MY FAMILY IS GONE BECAUSE OF YOU!! WHY DID YOU HAVE TO RUIN MY GOD DAMN LIFE?!?! LET GO OF ME NOW!!!”  
Despite the harsh insults and unbearable truth, Erik still held his son. Eventually, the struggles weakened and the overwhelming rage faded. Now, the rage and fury was replaced with overwhelming grief and failure. He leaned forward in an attempt to bury his face in the carpet, but Erik's strong grip around his shoulders, prevented him from doing so. He felt warm tears slowly make their way down his cheeks and sobs coming out of his mouth. Erik repositioned himself so that he was kneeling in front of his son while both of his hands firmly held his son’s shaking shoulders. Once he felt like Pietro wasn’t going to put up another fight, he reached for his son’s face and cradled it with both of his hands, not caring that wet tears were soaking his hands.  
“Please bring them back,” Pietro whispered, looking at his father desperately. “Dad, **please** bring them back.”  
  
Witnessing his own son in this state of anguish and desperation severely cracked the mask Erik has worn since Shaw's death. The mask that shielded his emotions and own fears from the cruel world began to let loose his own feelings of sadness and despair. His heart, which has blocked sentimental emotions, weeped hearing Pietro begging his father to make things right. Since their reunion at Mayra's house a few months earlier, Erik had always expected Pietro to call him "dad" one of those days, whether it be on purpose or on accident. However, hearing his son finally accept him as a father by calling "dad" in this current setting didn't make Erik's heart leap for joy. Instead, it only broke it even more. While trying to control his own feelings of despair and sadness, Erik wordlessly wrapped his arms around Pietro's shoulders and pulled him into a hug only a father could give. To his surprise, Pietro actually submitted to the comforting gesture and ended up burying his face into Erik's chest. The metal-bender could feel Pietro's hands grip onto his jacket as if it were a lifeline. When the muffled sobs began to rise, Erik began to rock from side-to-side to comfort his son more. Sensing a new presence, Erik looked up and saw both of his former students standing at the doorway, each of them wearing their own emotions on their sleeves. Hank quietly cleared his throat and motioned Alex to follow him out of the destroyed home.  
“We’ll get the jet,” Hank quietly said.  
Once they were gone, Erik was left alone with his crying son. As he continued to hold Pietro, his eyes came across a familiar looking purple bunny that was, like the crib, covered in blood. The memories the toy conjured up caused him to sigh and unconsciously tightened his hug. He had no idea just how long he had been holding his son, but the sound of a jet landing outside the home brought him, as well as Pietro, back into reality.  
Pietro stood up, wiping away his tears in the process, before walking towards the jet, an unreadable expression written on his face. He didn’t seem to notice Erik nor Alex, who was standing at the entrance. Erik sighed and stood up, waking up his numb legs in the process. He was about to exit the room when he stopped and stared at the bunny again. He bent down and picked it up in order to examine it more carefully. To his surprise, the bunny was still in relatively good condition. All it really needed was a good wash to rid itself of the blood coating it and through the material. Despite it's age, it still had that fresh and euphoric look. Sighing, Erik walked out of the room with the bunny in his hand. As soon as he entered the jet and it took off, he sat down in his seat across from Pietro’s and glanced at him, who just sat there in complete silence while staring at floor. Erik made no attempt to comfort the boy, knowing that he needed time to think by himself.

Erik knew that the bond he was building with his son was now gone. And even if they reconciled, their relationship would never be the same.

 **(April 3, 1983. 12:10 PM)**  
As soon as the jet was parked in the large garage, Pietro stood up from where he was sitting and (rather ungracefully) exited the vehicle without sparing Erik, Alex, and Hank a single glance. He left the garage and slowly made his way towards his room, avoiding the worried and confused glances the occupants of the mansion gave him. Charles wheeled himself in front of the mutant and wasn’t surprised when Pietro walked around him without addressing him like he usually would.  
“Pietro,” Charles quietly began as he began to follow the depressed mutant, “I’m so-”  
“Don’t,” Pietro growled back, effectively shutting Charles up. “Don’t you **dare** tell me that you’re sorry! In fact, just don’t talk to me at all.”  
“Pietro,” Charles tried to begin, “one day we will need to talk about this.”  
“Not everyone wants to mourn with others! Just do me a favor and leave me alone. Don’t try to talk to me in my head, don’t try to project yourself for me to see. Leave me alone and let me grieve the way I want to, alright?”  
Before Charles could reply, Pietro vanished from his sight. He was about to ponder where the mutant ran off to, but the sound of a door slamming closed answered the question. He turned his wheelchair around and found himself staring at Erik, who was staring at the ground sadly. Charles moved closer to Erik and patted his friend’s arm.  
“He hates me,” Erik said.  
“He doesn’t hate you,” Charles reassured. “He hates himself. Trust me on that.”  
“When should we talk to him?”  
“As soon as we can. The only question is how can we talk to him? We don’t know the pain he’s feeling and-”  
“Maybe you don’t...but I do.”

 **(April 3, 1983. 11:45 PM)**  
Pietro sat on the floor, his back leaning against the bottom of the couch in his room, in front of the fireplace that was still burning strong. Throughout the day, mutants knocked on his door, asking if he was okay or if he wanted someone to talk to. And every time someone would knock on his door, he would tell them to leave him alone. He was happy when they would comply with his wishes. Once he was sure that he was alone, he continued to stare at the fire, just watching the tips of the flames dance in erratic yet soothing movements. Once he would get bored of the flames, he would move his eyes down and stare at the dark orange pieces of coal that surrounded the burning wood. He had no idea how long he had been sitting and staring at the fire; his mind was too occupied with the loss of his mother and baby sister, as well as the burden of knowing just how badly he failed them. When he heard a knock at the door, he told whomever to leave without removing his eyes from the fire.  
“Leave me alone."  
“Pietro?” It was Erik. “We need to talk.”  
“No we don’t.”  
The locks on the door shifted and Erik opened the door with ease. Pietro tore his eyes away from the fire in surprise. At first he was confused as to how Erik managed to unlock the doors, but then he realized-  
“Fucking metal-benders,” he muttered.  
Erik closed the door, locking it in the process, and moved forward to he could sit beside Pietro in front of the fire. To Pietro’s relief, Erik kept his distance and sat a couple of feet away from him. However, his brief moment of happiness was short-lived when he saw what Erik was holding: Lorna’s purple bunny, which was now rid of the blood. The runner stared at the toy with hatred, sadness, and slight nostalgia. However, he made no attempt to grab it. Instead, he sighed and looked back at the fire.

“You can toss it in the fire if you want. It's not important anymore.”  
“I beg to differ,” Erik said while staring at the clean bunny. “It holds something very valuable and irreplaceable.”  
“Which is?”  
“Memories. Memories of your childhood and hers.”  
“I don’t want to remember any of it.”  
“Maybe not now, but eventually you will.”  
“How the hell do you-”  
“Because this toy belonged to someone whom I loved dearly, but unfortunately perished too soon from this world. She beamed over this toy and would always play with it, eat with it, and sleep next to it. When she was gone, I wanted to destroy this toy. I wanted to destroy everything that reminded me of her. I wanted to rid the world of anything that would bring up memories of her existence in hopes that I could move forward with my life without being reminded of her. But then I realized that it wasn’t the memories I wanted get rid off...it was the pain.” Pietro slowly turned his head so that he was looking at Erik. “The pain of my failure to keep her safe and happy. The memories of her existence would always conjure up the memories of my mistakes.” Erik turned his body so that he was completely facing his son. “I know that what I’m saying, or what I will say, will never touch what you're feeling. I’ve felt the same and it’s unbearable. But I’m lucky to have the mementoes that bring up the pain because they ignite the happier memories as well. I'm sure that you and Lorna have shared a lot of great moments with this bunny.” Pietro nodded. “Do you really want to sacrifice those memories just for temporary bliss?”  
Pietro looked down at his crossed legs to take in Erik’s words. Erik was right: even if he burned the bunny, Lorna's presence would never be forgotten. Burning it wouldn’t make him feel better...in fact, it would only make him feel worse. Blinking away more tears that stung his eyes, Pietro took a deep breath and looked back at Erik.  
“No I don't. It just hurts. I abandoned her to keep her safe, only for her to die.”  
“You didn’t leave her because you got sick of her. You didn’t leave her because you didn’t want to be responsible for her and her well-being. You left her because you loved her. Everything that you've done was out of love.”  
“You sound like you have experience with this kind of shit.”  
“As a matter of fact, I do.” That caught Pietro’s attention. Taking a deep breath, Erik began his tale.   
  
“Did you know that I was married?” Pietro’s eyes widened with fascination and curiosity. “Her name was Magda. We were childhood friends, and I had eventually fallen in love with her. Her beauty, both external and internal, was truly captivating and unique. Unfortunately, she and I were placed in Auschwitz before World War II began. She was there because she was a gypsy, and I because of my religion.”  
“That explains the tattoo on your arm."  
“It was during our time in the camps that we became even closer. When Auschwitz was going to be invaded by Americans, the Germans tried to eradicate the camp. All of the surviving men and women were going to be shot and burned by the end of the day. I managed to escape the camp with her, and we ran East. We managed to start a life together after World War II ended. Magda: a woman I loved with all of my heart and soul. She made me feel...human. Eventually, got married and moved to Carpathian Mountains. It was there when we had our daughter, Anya.”  
“But- but I thought-”  
“You weren’t the first child I had, Pietro,” Erik replied warmly. “Anya was pure. She was curious, kind, innocent, and observant.”  
“Was she... a mutant?”  
“No. And I’m glad she wasn’t because I believe that my whole relationship with her would’ve been completely different. Your mother made her this,” Erik continued as he lifted the bunny up slightly upwards, “and Anya beamed with joy whenever it was placed in her hands. She would bring it with her everywhere we went; we could never get her to let go of it. It became a big part of her life, and well as ours. Eventually, we moved to Vinnitsa in Ukraine so I could become an engineer. I wanted to be able to provide for both of them and keep them happy…”  
“So what happened?”  
“The first night we moved there, we had to stay in an inn. It caught on fire and everything was burning.” Erik closed his eyes at the incoming memories. “Anya was in the inn. I arrived there to see her trapped in our room, which was consumed in flames. Magda tried to run into the inn to save her, but I managed to stop her...with my powers. It was the first time I used my powers in public. Police saw what I had done and attacked me, preventing me from getting to my daughter.” He moved slightly closer to Pietro. “I watched my own daughter burn to death in front of me, and I couldn’t do a damn thing about it. In a fit of rage, I accidentally killed the policemen who were detaining me, as well as a mob that was beginning to form around the inn. Magda had no prior knowledge as to who I really was, so when she saw me use my powers, she was horrified. She threw this bunny at me in a fit of rage, fled away from me, and left me alone forever. In a single night, I managed to lose my wife, my daughter, and my dreams of starting a family. I lost everything.” Pietro sadly stared at his father, unsure of what to say next. “Then, a couple of months later, I hear that she was pregnant...with you.”  
“W-What?! She was pr- she was my-”  
“Yes. She was pregnant with you after she had left me. She gave birth to you, left you in the hands of Marya, and fled into a blizzard where I assume she perished.”  
“So, let me get this straight: my mother wasn’t my real mother?! Why are you telling me-”  
“Please let me finish.” Erik sounded slightly desperate, so Pietro shut up and let him continue his side of the story. “I met your mother when she was in Transia. I did fall in love with her...but then my past came to haunt me and I had to leave her to keep her and you safe.”  
Pietro froze at the connection his father was making with him. If Erik was telling the truth, then that would mean that they both left the ones they cared about...out of love. Erik continued his story, quickly ending Pietro’s realization.  
“A mutant named Sebastian Shaw experimented on me when I was in the concentration camp, which was why I was afraid of being a lab rat in Providence. It brought back too many painful memories, both figuratively and literally. He killed my mother in front of me and then proceeded to experiment on me once he discovered what I was. When I met Marya we were at a bar. She told me about an infant boy she was planning to adopt from a woman named Magda Eisenhardt. I knew you were my son the moment those words left her mouth. She said that she was going to pick you up the next morning, making me want to stay with her even more. I wanted to meet my own son and see what he looked like. In fact, she had already picked out a name for you...”  
“Peter?”  
“Nope. George.” Pietro’s eyes widened at the ugly and quite different name. “But I convinced her to name you Pietro. Apparently she didn’t like the way it sounded and has called you Peter since then. Anyways, it was the night I was with her when I saw Sebastian Shaw walking on the streets. I wanted to keep your mother, as well as you, away from him...so I left that night. He was a dangerous mutant and would’ve loved to see me suffer even more, which he would’ve achieved if he killed her, but more importantly, you. I left you two so he couldn’t make any assumptions that we were together in any form.”  
“So, how did you give her the bunny after you left?”  
“I managed to track down where she lived and placed the bunny inside her home where she was keeping you.”  
“Holy shit.”  
“The point of me telling you all of this is because I don’t want you to feel alone. We both have suffered and while the pain that has followed were different, the experiences you and I have shared aren’t. I also just wanted to explain myself and why I had left you alone nearly twenty six years ago. You deserve to know what happened.”  
Pietro closed his eyes to take everything he just heard in. His mother that he has lived with for over two decades was not technically his mother, while his real mother abandoned him and froze to death. His father had a daughter that also died...and now Lorna, his baby sister, was gone as well. He felt as if he were in a soap opera right now; just one life-altering revelation after the next. He really did have a fucked up life. After processing everything Erik told him, Pietro opened his eyes and stared at Erik with sadness and sympathy.  
“I know this may not affect you in any form, but I’m really sorry about Magda and your daughter.”  
Erik smiled and moved closer to his son so that they were sitting side by side in front of the fireplace. “You are not responsible for my past, so you have no reason to apologize.”  
“I can see why you hate humans so much. If Anya were still alive today, would you still hate humans as much as you do now?”  
“Only if they were harming her. Before I lost my entire family, my only concern was for them. I would’ve done anything to keep them safe. But now that they are gone, I don’t have anyone to fight for...except our kind. And yet, that doesn’t feel complete. Fighting for strangers is a lot different than fighting for the ones you love. There’s less passion, determination, and success.”  
“You feel unfulfilled, like you're fighting for a lost cause.” Pietro added.  
“Correct." A beat. "I will understand if you want to leave the mansion...I won’t stop you.”  
After a moment, Pietro replied, “Sorry dude, but you’re not getting rid of me that easily. Might as well help you save the world, even if I couldn’t even keep my own family safe.”  
Pietro found himself resting his head on Erik’s shoulder. He felt an arm wrap around his shoulders to pull him even closer. They both remained silent for a long time, reflecting on their pasts, mistakes, and loved ones. While Erik was watching images of Magda and Anya before everything went to hell flash before his eyes, Pietro was thinking about Erik. It was true; they both were similar in more ways they imagined. They both lost their parents, abandoned their loved ones to try to keep them safe, and ultimately failed. Pietro looked up at his father, who was staring into the distance. Although Erik’s lies and actions have caused a lot of pain in his life, Pietro actually respected Erik more and understood why he did what he did. Originally, Pietro thought Erik left him and his mother for selfish reasons. And now that he understood why Erik did what he did, his view of him changed almost completely. He respected Erik’s attempts to keep his kind safe, even if it was a substitute for his family, as well as how vulnerable he was and could be. And although he still couldn’t call Erik his dad just yet, at least he could approach him with more compassion than he did before.  
“I miss them so much,” Pietro whispered, pain laced in his voice.  
Erik pulled his son closer and sighed, his eyes not leaving the fire that reminded me of the night he lost everything.

“I know...I miss them too.”

 **(April 4, 1983. 11:00 AM)  
** Pietro slowly woke up and instantly regretted it. His eyes stung due to the amount of crying he did yesterday, his throat was sore from all of the sobs he let loose, and his neck ached from the awkward position he was laying, or rather, sitting in. Without moving his head too much, Pietro looked up and saw that Erik was still asleep, his arm still wrapped protectively around his shoulders. Smiling, Pietro slowly moved away from Erik, carefully unwrapping the sleeping mutant’s arm from his shoulders, before standing up and stretching his muscles. When he finished, he looked down and saw the bunny still sitting on the floor where Erik left it. He bent down, picked it up, inspected it for a second, before placing it on a coffee table. He glanced at his father one last time, not only to make sure that he didn’t wake him but also to silently thank him for their talk last night, before bolting out of his room.

He ran to the kitchen he and Alex had their first conversation and sat down on the stool, trying to figure out what was his next step with the thought that this was his first day without his mother or Lorna alive. A younger, more smoother British voice broke him out of his thoughts.  
“Good morning, Pietro.”  
Pietro turned around and saw Charles sitting next to the stool he was on. “Morning Professor.” After a pause, Pietro continued. “I’m sorry if I snapped at you yesterday.”  
“You have nothing to apologize for, my friend. You’ve been through a terrible ordeal. I would be rather surprised if you greeted me in your usually cheerful tone.”  
“Yeah, I would be too."  
"We all care about you and were worried about you yesterday. But we'll understand if you still want some privacy today."  
"Thanks Professor...So I’m guessing that you heard our conversation last night?”  
Charles gave him an impressed look. “You’re a smart lad.”  
Pietro shot Charles a quick smile. “Was he lying? About his wife, his daughter, and why he left me?”  
After a couple of seconds of silence, Charles sadly said, “No Pietro, he wasn’t lying at all.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tried to make the events of Anya and Magda true to the comics, so I hope I didn't fail on that! I may go back and change a couple of things so that it would match what I've written so far.
> 
> The next chapter will have moments between Charles and Erik :0) Just to give Pietro a break and to shift the focus onto the main stars of the franchise.
> 
> Questions/Comments/Concerns/Insults/Thoughts of love??? *whispers* You know what to do ;)
> 
> Take Care and Party Hard :0)


	11. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all :0)
> 
> I finished my finals and finally wrote another chapter!!! However, considering that "Avengers: Age of Ultron" just came out (which I saw...7.5/10! If you wanna talk about it, feel free to write your thoughts down about the film in the comments), I won't be surprised if people either ignore this story or completely forget about it :) This chapter has a lot of talking between Charles and Erik, as well as some between Logan and Pietro. 
> 
> Warning: Grammatical/Spelling errors and possibly slight OOC-ness!!
> 
> I hope you enjoy!!!

**(April 14, 1983. 07:05 PM)  
** Life at the mansion after the death of Pietro’s mother and little sister was extremely different. Considering that Pietro usually was the source of energy, life, and optimism in the mansion, everyone could feel the change in the air once they found out that his entire family (with the exception of Erik) was gone. Before, Pietro would train in The Danger Room with the other mutants who occupied the mansion. He would talk his socks off while they were training, eating, and hanging out in the numerous rooms. His bright smile, debatably smart mind, sarcastic humor, and warm personality would always slap a smile on everyone’s face, no matter how annoying he could be. Now, he was just silent. He would shoot small, quick smiles at anyone who greeted him, eat next to him, or tried to start a conversation with him. But besides that, he would never fully interact with the others the same way again. He would be seen training in The Danger Room by himself, pushing himself to his limits. Every time Alex, Hank, Logan, Layla, Cain, or Dallas --the mutants who were spent most of their time in the danger room -- saw him, he was dripping with sweat and breathing heavily. At one point, Hank saw the younger mutant limp out of the room, his knuckles and feet bleeding and leaving a tiny trail up the stairs. He never told anyone what he observed, but the image of seeing Pietro exhausted, bleeding, and furious still lingered in his mind. The silver-haired mutant ate less, talked less, and smiled less. The younger mutant’s personality change did not go unnoticed by Charles and Erik, who kept an extremely close eye on him since April 3.

Tonight was the first night the two friends got to talk about Pietro’s behavior, as well as other issues on their mind. They sat in the humongous library in front of a small window playing chess. After Erik moved a knight, he looked out the window and took in two things: the huge rainstorm taking place outside, and his son training in it. Sighing, he looked at Charles, who was figuring out what his next move would be.  
“What do we do?”  
“About who?” Charles asked absently, moving his pawn forward.  
“Pietro.” Charles looked up at Erik, signaling Erik to continue. “He’s changed...dramatically. He barely eats, rarely talks, and pushes himself too hard whenever he’s practicing. He’s on a path of self-destruction.”  
“He just needs some more-”  
“It’s been over a week.”  
“It takes more than a week for someone to recover from such a traumatic experience. How long did it take you to recover from your mother’s death?”  
“...I see your point. You don’t think he’ll hurt himself even further, right?”  
“What do you mean?”  
“Self-harm? Suicide? You don’t think he’ll inflict physical pain on himself to numb the emotional pain, do you?”  
“Honestly, I don’t have the answer. We just need to keep a close eye on him. All of the other mutants, especially Logan and Alex, agreed to look after him in case anything serious happens to him.” Charles noticed the unsure look plastered on his friend’s face, prompting him to place a comforting hand on his knee. “He’ll eventually recover.”  
“I hope you’re right.” After a beat, Erik moved onto a different matter. “What was Raven doing down there? I always thought of her as the free-spirited leader who knew right from wrong.”  
Charles straightened up so that he was now leaning against the back of his seat. He looked at Erik.  
“I have no idea. But that can’t be the real Raven...it just can’t. I always knew that she was more aggressive and independent compared to the other mutants we’ve trained before, but I didn’t think that she would help wipe out an entire state. We need to get her back…”  
“Have you tried using Cerebro to track her down?”  
“Yes and I couldn’t track her down at all!”  
“Impossible. Cerebro was designed track down any human or mutant. How can you-”  
“I don’t know!” Charles sighed with frustration. “Maybe it’s me...maybe I’m not as strong as I think I am.”  
“Don’t be ridiculous! I’ve seen you do incredible things with your powers and I know for a fact that this isn’t your doing.”  
“Maybe,” Charles replied, shooting Erik a small smile. “I just don’t understand why I can’t track her down. It’s almost as if she’s-”  
“We know for a fact that she’s not dead, so don’t go down that road. Someone or something must be manipulating her genes. Possibly erasing them or-”  
“Or someone could simply just be blocking them from your mind. You’re not the only telepath, Charles. Hell, we’ve even meant one nearly twenty years ago!”  
“It just doesn’t make any sense,” the other mutant said to himself.  
Erik leaned forward so Charles could see his face, placed a gentle hand on his friend’s shoulder, and shook it lightly.  
“We’ll get her back. That I promise you.”  
Charles looked at Erik and nodded. “Let’s just use orthodox ways to do so.”  
“Do you think whoever ripped my ex-girlfriend’s spine straight through her back and killed an innocent infant will be willing to do the same? Charles, there is a huge possibility that whoever is responsible for these attacks will be coming here any moment. We’re currently holding almost a dozen mutants with unmatched strength. We can’t afford to become soft and gentle...not anymore.”  
“But we need to try,” Charles said almost desperately.  
“Fine. You keep telling yourself that when the mutant finds us and wipes out everyone in this building.”  
“You said so yourself, they’re strong-”  
“But they’re not invincible. They are just as vulnerable as any human and we can’t protect them all. You know that. ”  
The telepathic mutant’s blue eyes stared at Erik, trying to process those words. He knew that his friend had a point, but there was no way he was willing to sacrifice his principles just yet. He needed to make sure that he knew who they were dealing with before he made any rash decisions. His eyes snapped down onto the chess board when he saw Erik move his piece forward. He was about to make his move when he felt Hank’s presence appear at the entrance.  
“I’m sorry to bother you, Professor. You too, Erik. But I think I have some updates on the serum Pietro collected in March. But I can come back-”  
“No problem, Hank. Erik and I were about to finish the game.”  
“We were?”  
“Yes...because I just won.”  
Erik’s eyes snapped down and saw Charles knock down his final chess piece, causing him to sigh with frustration.  
“Fine. Show us what you found Hank.”

A couple of minutes later, Erik and Charles found themselves standing in Hank’s lab. Erik took in the number of syringes, machines, and data scattered across multiple tables in the lab. It brought back painful memories of the Providence trip in March. He shuttered, suppressed the memory, and looked up at Hank.  
“The serum that Pietro brought back is...remarkable. Unlike the one I created for Charles when he wanted to walk, it permanently kills the X-gene.”  
"But the doctor back at the lab told Pietro and me that the effects were only temporary."  
"Apparently he was lying."  
Charles moved forward to speak. “So why didn’t Erik lose his powers when he was injected with it?”  
“He must’ve not gotten enough to cause serious damage. Whoever created the serum must’ve been experimenting on a lot of mutants in order to perfect the formula this well.”  
“Wait, if that can wipe out X-genes permanently, then-”  
“We could use it on whoever is responsible for the attacks,” Hank finished. “The only problem is that I don’t have enough of it to even wipe out one of us. We’ll need more...a lot more. Enough to weaken a mutant who has the capability of destroying city after city in a blink of an eye.”  
“Can’t you just use one of your machines to duplicate it?” Erik asked.  
“I can’t. There are a couple of ingredients that are extremely rare to find. My guess is that the lab back in Providence will probably have what I need to then copy the serum.”  
“We also can’t track him down,” Charles added. “So we’re kind of stuck with our hands tied behind our backs until then.”  
“We could get Pietro to go back there and try to steal some.”  
“Are you sure that’s a wise idea, Erik? He’s not in the best mental state at the moment. Plus, he's already been there once and caused a significant amount of damage. The researchers back there are aware of his gifts and, more importantly, your alliance with him. Going back there could put him in serious danger. I’m not so sure that-”  
“He’s the fastest mutant around at the moment and we need to create this serum and inject whoever is responsible for the attacks with it before they attack us. Plus, I’ll be around him. And possibly Alex, considering that they seem to have a some kind of friendship going on. Dallas can come as well.”  
“Erik, I’m not a fan of this idea. You and Pietro were caught, by security cameras, and are now on everyone’s ‘Most Wanted’ list. Dragging you two, as well as two other mutants, back there only spells trouble.”  
“That’s why we’ll need those two with us, in case things go wrong! Plus, it’s not my fault the security camera was on.”  
It while he said that, that he glared at Hank. The mutant's eyes widened with confusion and hurt.  
“I had no idea how that happened! I swear that all of them were turned off!!”  
“What’s done is done,” Erik said, effectively shutting Hank up. “The point is that we need to get whatever you need to duplicate the serum. Once we do so, then we can confront the monster responsible for all of the damage.”  
“Erik-”  
“Trust me.”  
Charles stared up at Erik, whose eyes were beaming with confidence, eagerness, and slight hurt. He knew that arguing with Erik was like arguing with a brick wall: it was pointless. He knew just how personal the previous lab adventure was to both the metal-bender and the speedster. Erik had to become the victim of human’s rash, selfish, and unreasonable experiments, causing him to revisit painful memories. Pietro, on the other hand, technically lost his mother and sister after Providence. He lost the ability to communicate with them, visit them, and protect them...and that ended up costing them their lives. Maybe him going back to the lab would help him release some of the anger he’s been concealing for quite some time now. Making up his mind, Charles nodded and looked back up at Erik, who was waiting for the answer he already knew was coming.  
“Just promise me that you all will look after Pietro, please?”  
“He’s my son,” Erik reassured. “I don’t like seeing him hurting more than you do.” He began to walk out of the lab and into a main hallway. “I’ll go inform the others. We leave in two days.” With that, he exited the lab.  
After a couple of intense minutes of silence, Hank looked down at Charles.  
“Are you sure about this?”  
“No...but I have to be. For their sake.”

 **(April 14, 1983. 08:45 PM)**  
Pietro looked up from where he was sitting in front of the fireplace after a soft knocking sound came from the other side of his door. He ran to the door, opened it, and was greeted by Logan, who was smoking a cigar as usual.  
“Hey kid,” he said in his rough voice. “Charles wanted me to ask you if you want to go back to Providence to steal something we need.”  
Pietro continued to stare at the mutant. “What the hell would he need back there?”  
“Remember the syringes of serum you stole back there last month?” Pietro nodded. “Well, it turns out there's a lot more too it than Hank expected. We need to duplicate it so-”  
“Why can’t you guys do it? You know, I’m starting to think that the only reason you guys constantly ask if I’m okay is because you want me to just get back into the game and do all of the work for you.”  
“- so we can use it to destroy the mutant who killed your family," Logan finished.  
That caught Pietro’s attention. This could be his chance to finally get some justice, as well as anger, out of his system. He smiled to himself, almost shaking with excitement. He looked back up at Logan and nodded.  
“I’m in,” he said with fierceness.  
“Okay,” Logan said. “You, Erik, Hank, Alex, and Dallas will be taking the jet and will head over in two days.” He was about to leave when a sudden thought popped into his head. “Listen, kid. I know you’re hurting and upset-”  
“Here we go,” Pietro said to himself. “Look, would you all just drop it? I’m fine.”  
“Sure, and I’m Mr. Rogers. Look, the point of me telling you this is because we’re all worried that you’ll snap at the lab. After everything that’s happened to you-”  
“I said I’m fine!” He clamped his mouth shut instantly, automatically regretting yelling at the older mutant who was only trying to comfort him. “I’m sorry. I just- I need you all to get off my back. I want help Hank out without having you all breathing over my shoulder.”  
“I understand,” Logan said, “and I can respect your wishes. But you do understand that we all care about you, right? We’re not concerned about you because we just want you to jump right into another mission, or because we feel obligated to ask you if you’re alright.” He leaned his head forward so that it was a little bit closer to Pietro’s. “You may not know this, but you’re a really well-liked member in this dysfunctional family we’ve got going on here. You're the only one here who can make us all laugh until we pull our hair out. We hate seeing someone like you hurting like this.”  
“I’m not hurting, man.”  
“You rarely talk, barely eat, and practice using your powers until you look like you’re on the verge of collapsing, kid. You’ve changed and it doesn’t take the smartest mutant in the world to see it happening. I’ve lost people in my life too... good people. People who I’ve either outlived or who died during worse and unnecessary situations. Trust me, I know how you’re feeling.”  
“Just because you and I share some similar experiences doesn’t mean that the pain is mutual,” Pietro almost growled. “Look, thank you for trying to make me feel better. And thank you for telling me that you all care about me. I really do appreciate it! But you gotta trust me when I say that I’m fine, and that I’ll be careful when we head back there. I promise.”  
He pulled his famous “puppy eyes” out for Logan to stare at. He knew that this trick always (or rather, mostly) worked whenever he wanted something. Sure, he was almost twenty-six years old, but that didn’t mean that he was willing to drop this old trick down just yet. Logan rolled his eyes and sighed.  
“Damnit, kid. Fine, you’re officially on board. I’ll go tell Charles and Erik.”  
Just before Logan was about to leave, Pietro spoke up. “Hey Logan! Thanks...for comforting me and all. I kinda needed it right now.”  
Logan smirked and patted Pietro’s shoulder. “Anytime, kid. Anytime.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't worry, more action is to come in the next chapter! We also will get to see Dallas in action with his ability to merge with his shadow :D
> 
> Questions/Comments/Concerns/Insults/Thoughts of love?? Feel free to write them down!  
> Also, feel free to write down what you thought about AoU!! I'm interested in what you all thought about the movie :D Considering that my opinion is quite different from others, it could be interesting to get into a debate about the quality of the sequel!
> 
> Take Care and Party Hard :0)


	12. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all :0)
> 
> Here is another chapter :D I may go back and edit a couple of things because I feel like this chapter is kind of crappy, so just be warned lol
> 
> Warning: Grammatical/Spelling errors and possibly slight OOC-ness!!!
> 
> I hope you enjoy!!!

**(April 16, 1983. 09:50 AM)**  
The black jet softly landed yards away from the back entrance of the Providence Research Lab.   
“Alright, I’ll stay here and monitor the security cameras,” Hank said.  
As he said that, he pulled out a miniature television-looking device, turned it on, and began to watch live feedback of each camera. With the click of a button, each camera slowly shut off, preventing any viewers from being able to see what was taking place in the lab. Erik and Pietro watched Hank’s progress, unsure of the accuracy of the results.  
“Are you sure that everything is turned off this time?” Pietro asked.  
“I mean...based on what I’m seeing so far, yes. If anything happens, I’ll contact Charles and he’ll contact you all.”  
“Okay…” Pietro said, still reluctant to believe Hank.  
Suddenly, he felt a comforting hand rest on his right shoulder. He turned his head and saw Erik shooting him a small, quick smile. Even though Erik’s helmet did make him look goofy, Pietro smiled back because of Erik’s warm gesture...although it was still kind of hard to ignore the helmet that nearly covered Erik’s entire face. 

With the exception Hank, all of the occupants stood up and exited the jet and made their way to the facility. This time, Erik brought with him his infamous helmet, and although it received a couple of giggles when put it on as they arrived, the British mutant felt a lot more safe and powerful with it on. While older members of the group kept a sharp eyes on their surroundings, always expecting a sudden attack to occur, Dallas was jumping with excitement. This was the first time he’s seen this lab and because the sun was shining brightly through the clear, blue sky, he could see and interact with his shadow, giving him the perfect opportunity to practice using his powers in the real world. Also, he was the youngest member there, so he was bound to be the most curious as well. He ended up skipping most of the way towards the lab, much to the other’s amusement.

When they approached the back entrance, they all glanced at each other, trying to conjure up a small plan in case things happen to go wrong.  
“Alright,” Alex said, “I’ll tag along with Magneto and we’ll search the perimeters in case someone’s hiding in there. Quicksilver, bring Dallas with you and try to find whatever Beast needs, okay?”  
Erik was surprised (and secretly proud) about how quickly Alex took control of the situation. He’s definitely come a long way since their first encounter nearly twenty years ago. He patted Alex’s bicep with amusement and they both walked down the hallway. The runner and the shadow waited until they moved from the center of the hallway to the side so Quicksilver would have a clear path to run on. Once he was sure that he wasn’t going to plow over the other two, he slapped on his goggles, lifted Dallas into his arms, pressed the young boy’s head against his shoulder, and speed off to the room where he found Erik and the serum one month ago.

Once they arrived at the room, Quicksilver set down the younger mutant, who was shaking like a leaf after the experience. The runner knelt down so that he was the same eye-level as Dallas and placed a hand on his shoulder.  
“Hey kid, you okay?”  
Dallas slowly met Quicksilver's gaze and instantly lightened up. “That….was...awesome!!! I knew you were fast, but I didn’t know that you were that fast! You could totally outrun The Flash!!!”  
Happy that Dallas wasn’t hurt or actually shaken, Quicksilver smirked and stood up to try to find whatever Poindexter needed. The hairy mutant told everyone to look for a bright blue, glowing leaf in the shape of a bleeding heart. Considering that bleeding hearts were Quicksilver's (and formally Lorna’s) favorite kind of flower -- although he would never outwardly admit it--, it kind of crushed him knowing that a leaf so pure and simple could contain so much power. Then again, he’s never heard of a blue, glowing bleeding heart… He began to look through all of the desks, drawers, and shelves that could be opened. Dallas also jumped in and assisted Pietro with the task at hand. While they were searching the room, Dallas took in the speedster's tired eyes, thin frame, and almost sluggish movements. Compared to when they first meant a couple of weeks earlier, Dallas could see just how different his friend has changed after April 3. At times, the younger mutant could hear Quicksilver’s stomach growl loudly and although Quicksilver himself tried to cover up his condition, Dallas could see just how exhausted, hungry, and angry the silver-haired mutant really was. While looking through another drawer, Dallas cleared his throat and tried to make a conversation.  
“You sound hungry.”  
The runner snorted without taking his eyes off the drawer. “Well, I'm not.”  
“Your stomach’s growling and you’re thinner than usual.”  
“Fast metabolism,” Quicksilver shot back with a smile while patting his stomach. “Gotta love that.”  
“You have bags under your eyes. You’re really tired.”  
“And how do you know that?”  
“Well...it’s just that you’ve been opening and closing the same drawer six times now.”  
Quicksilver froze and looked down at the drawer's knob. When he realized that Dallas was correct, he quickly shut the drawer and proceeded to walk to next unlocked storage space as if nothing happened. He refused to meet Dallas’s eyes due to embarrassment.  
“Don’t worry,” the blonde-haired mutant called cheerfully, “I’ve done plenty of things like that! One time, I didn’t sleep for almost two days, and I kept running into doors and windows. It hurt a lot and it was embarrassing, but I got over it.”  
Quicksilver turned so that he kneeling on the floor, facing Dallas, and gently asked, “Why are you so concerned about me?”   
“Cause you’re kinda like my big brother. I mean, I know we’re not related, but you're cool, playful, and nice...most of the time. You're just how I pictured a big brother to be”  
“Trust me, kid. I’d make a horrible big brother.”  
“Why?”  
“Well, considering that failed to protect my family, I’d say I fail as a brother..”  
“But you still love them?”  
“What?”  
“If you still love them, then that’s all that matters! Yeah they’re gone, but you haven’t forgotten about them! I’ve heard you on the phone with your sister and you always sound like you loved her! You would tell her jokes that would even make me laugh, recap all of adventures you've had with us back at the mansion, and just tell her how much you love her.” After a couple of moments, Dallas sighed and went back to the lower shelf he was searching. “I don’t know...I guess I’ve just always wanted an older brother and you seem like a great one to me.”  
Quicksilver stood up from where he was kneeling, walked over to Dallas, kneeled back down, and pulled the younger mutant into a small side hug. To his slight surprise, Dallas leaned into the pull and nuzzled himself closer towards him, promoting him tighten his hold.  Before he could actually reflect on what Dallas had said, something blue caught his eyes. He moved away from Dallas and opened the cabinet. Inside the cabinet were dozens and dozens of glowing bleeding hearts that matched Hank’s description.  
“Is that was we’re looking for?”  
“Apparently. Don’t touch any of them just yet.”  
He zipped around the lab in order to try to find any kind of container that would protect the flowers from being crushed. Eventually, he found a couple of small, glass containers with heavy seal to prevent the lid from opening. He grabbed two of them, ran back, and began to quickly yet cautiously place the flowers into the bin. Once he was sure that he collected all of the leaves, he placed the two containers in the brown leather satchel he placed the syringes in a month ago. Once he was sure that they were secure, he stood up and motioned for Dallas to follow him out of the room.

He froze, however, when he saw at least fifty machine guns, as well as other various weapons, pointing directly at him and Dallas. Instinctively, he pulled Dallas behind him and positioned himself so his body will take most of the wrath the soldiers planned to shower them with.  
“Hey boys,” the silver-haired mutant calmly said. “Long time no see, am I right?” Silence. “Please, stop the adulation! It’s becoming unbearable!”  
“Take ready!”  
Quicksilver moved to pull Dallas back even further when he realized that he was only pushing air. Dallas was missing.  
“Aim.”  
The runner positioned himself so that he could charge at full speed out of the room and reunite with Magneto and Havok, who he wondered where the hell they were. He mentally prepared his mind to endure the possible pain of bullets tearing through his skin. Considering that he was beyond exhausted and hungry, he knew that the possibility of a bullet hitting him wasn’t far-fetched. In fact, although he would never admit it, he was already beginning to see black dots swim across his vision. He blinked them away and focused on the soldiers in front of him.  
“Fi-”  
Before the head commander could finish, he was suddenly laying on the ground, knocked out cold. Pietro stared at the soldier with confusion before looking back at the other soldiers, who were also staring at the fallen soldier. They all met his gaze.  
“Don’t look at me,” he said raising his hands up.  
Suddenly another guard went down. And another. And another. Quicksilver eventually noticed a shadow moving at a pretty fast speed towards another guard’s shadow. Dallas. Quicksilver watched in awe, fascination, and pride when he saw the younger mutant taking down the soldiers with outstanding strength, speed, and agility. He must’ve been staring for too long because one of the soldiers followed his gaze and tracked down the moving shadow.  
“ON THE WALL,” he screamed.  
Before he could position his gun to aim it at the younger mutant, Quicksilver rushed over to the soldier and shoved him so that he would go flying against the wall. He then proceeded to take down the other guards all while being aware of the moving shadow. After a couple of intense minutes, all of the guards were scattered all across the entrance, groaning in pain or just lying completely still. Quicksilver was panting and leaning heavily against a door across the lab. Unintentionally starving himself, pushing his strength to the limits, and getting little to no sleep didn’t really help the situation. He felt like he could just go to sleep right now, but a hand shaking him back into awareness got his attention. He looked up and saw Dallas, back in his regular form, standing in front of him with a worried look plastered on his face.  
“Are you okay?”  
“Yeah, I’m fine. Just give me a second.”  
While he was trying to regain control of his vision, breathing, and strength, Dallas looked down the never-ending hallway and saw at least thirty more soldiers running towards them with their guns already aimed at them. Panicked, he shook his friend and began to tug on his shirt frantically.  
“Look!”  
Quicksilver turned his head and noticed the soldiers. He quickly stood up, ignoring the wave of dizziness, and positioned himself to charge towards them.  
“You think you can go back into your shadow form?”  
“The corridor is too dark,” Dallas replied.  
The speedster looked around and saw a light switch that was turned off. He quickly ran over to it, turned it on, and ran back next to the mutant. The entire corridor was engulfed with bright, fluorescent lights that almost blinded everyone in the hallway. Smiling, Dallas quickly ran into the wall that held his shadow, and once again merged with it. Nodding to Dallas, Quicksilver took a deep breath and ran with all of his force towards the guards. While taking down the guards, he had to occasionally dodge red beams of sonic energy (who he assumed was Havok) and flying metal (which was being controlled by Magneto). He would hop over flying objects, dive under hot beams of deadly energy, and proceed to carry a soldier a couple of yards away. Occasionally, he would push them with enough force to cause the soldiers to go flying in the air. The soldiers would then get hit by Alex’s beam in mid-air, effectively disabling them. Talk about teamwork. If anyone were to walk past this hallway, they would be greeted by levitating metal, red laser beams, a quick line of silver moving in all directions, and a black figure moving all around the wall. It was chaotic and beautiful at the same time. Eventually, the fight died down and the hallway became silent again, save for the deep gasps of air coming from mutants. The once clean and almost snow white hallway was now covered in ash, dirt, and some blood. Soldiers were scattered all across the hallway and occasionally propped up against the walls. Once everything cleared up, Magneto looked at his son, who was bending down and gasping for air. He ran over to him and kneeled down so that he was at eye-level with the runner.  
“Are you alright?”  
“Y-Yeah,” Quicksilver stuttered, trying to meet his dad's concerned gaze. “I think I just overdid it again.”  
Magneto sighed and noticed Quicksilver's bloody knuckles. He took one of his son’s hands in both of his own and inspected the damaged. Thankfully, the wounds were superficial and were far from serious. He let go of his son’s hand and addressed the satchel.  
“I see you both found what we’re looking for.”  
“Yes sir,” Dallas chimed in from the wall.  
“Great,” Havok said. “So I think we should go before another wave arrives.”

Happy that his son seemed relatively okay, he turned around and was about to head towards the door when a bullet came flying out of nowhere and struck Dallas, who shifted back to his normal form, right in his shoulder. He grunted in pain and stumbled back against one of the walls. He slide down onto the floor and pressed his hand over the wound. He began to cry because of the sudden and intense pain that began to travel down his entire arm. The other mutants saw what had happened and rushed to the youngest member.  
“Find some bandages,” Magneto commanded to the remaining teammates.  
Before Havok could even nod, Quicksilver ran back to the main lab and grabbed the red medical bag that contained everything they needed to patch up the younger mutant. He opened it up to confirm his assumptions and ran off back to the group. He kneeled down next to Dallas, who was still crying his eyes out. Erik looked at his son, silently asking him to help him calm the boy down so he could patch him up quickly.  
“Dallas,” the metal-bender quietly said, “I need you to calm down so I can take care of you. We need to get out of here as soon as possible but we can’t do that until we’ve stopped the bleeding.”  
Dallas, however, continued to cry. His cries echoed throughout the empty hallway and the older mutants were afraid that someone would hear them and send for more guards. Suddenly, an idea hit Quicksilver. He sat down cross-legged, leaned against the wall, and gently pulled the young mutant into his lap. He wrapped one arm protectively around the mutant’s chest and placed his hand on his belly.  
“Listen,” he quietly whispered directly into the sobbing mutant’s ear, “everything’s going to be alright. I’m right here!”  
He found himself rocking side to side in an attempt to soothe the injured mutant. While doing so, he used his free hand to press against the wound in order to stop the bleeding. He knew that because Dallas was pressed tightly against his chest, the blood flow from the other side already had pressure applied to it. Quicksilver hissed as the warm, thick liquid seeped through his clothes and made contact with his chest. However, his hold on the boy never faltered. Once Dallas seemed to calm down, Pietro looked down to see Dallas.  
“Alright. Magneto is going to sew you up so you don’t die from blood loss like Lucy Westenra.”  
“W-W-Who?” the boy asked, suppressed sobs constantly interrupting his question.  
“Lucy from Dracula! You know, the vampire? Drinks a lot of blood? Hates garlic? Doesn’t like the sunlight? Kinda bat-like in terms of-”  
“Quicksilver," Magneto warned, looking up at his son.  
“Right. Point is, it’s going to sting a bit but we need to you stay still. We don’t want you to get even more hurt than you already are. Okay?”  
Dallas sniffed and looked at Erik, who was holding up the materials he needed to properly dress the wound. He flinched when he saw the needle and tried to turn his head so that it would be facing his friend. Quicksilver pulled Dallas closer and gently hugged him.  
“We’ve got you, okay Lorna? Everything will be-”  
He and Magneto froze at the slip of the name. There was a brief flash pain and grief in his son’s eyes. Before Magneto could make any move to comfort him, Pietro had already focused his attention back on the present.  
“Trust me. I’ve got you, okay. Just focus on me while Erik’s patching you up." A pregnant beat. "So hey, did I ever tell you about the time I saved the old man's ass from prison?”  
“Bloody hell,” Magneto muttered as he rolled his eyes.  
And so, Pietro began to tell the story about his adventure in the White House: he explain in detail how he disgusted himself as a prison guard, broke Erik out of his glass prison cell, and took down about seven guards within three seconds. To the speedster’s relief, Dallas seemed really interested in the story and almost never noticed nor felt the needle puncture his skin. Occasionally, he would wince or whimper whenever the pain became too intense, but Pietro would comfort him by tightening his hold. Once the older mutant was finished with the first exit wound, he motioned his head sideways to tell the runner that he needed to turn the boy around to reach the other wound. Quicksilver nodded and slowly repositioned the boy so that his back was now facing Erik. While the British mutant began to patch up the back of the kid’s shoulder, Quicksilver looked down and saw that Dallas’s eyes were drooping from exhaustion. The silver-haired mutant began to hum the tune he used to always hum to Lorna when she was about to drift off to sleep. While humming the tune, he looked up and saw Magneto staring at him almost as if he’d seen a ghost. His blue eyes showed confusion, surprise, and...well, they just showed a lot of emotions Quicksilver has never seen his father express before.  
“What?”  
“N-Nothing. Carry on. I’m almost done.”  
The younger mutant shrugged his shoulders and continued to soothe the now sleeping mutant. After a few more minutes, the bullet wound was patched up. Magneto stood up, stretching his sore muscles in the process, and motioned for his son to follow him. Quicksilver nodded and stood up with Dallas wrapped in his arms. Havok, who had just finished tracking down the person responsible for hurting the youngest member, ran into the hallway.  
“Okay, I think that’s the last of-”  
Father and son shushed the intruder and motioned their heads to the sleeping boy. The blonde mutant smiled.  
“Let’s go.”  
They all walked as quickly as they could out the back entrance and towards the jet, where Beast was impatiently waiting. As soon as he saw the mutants exiting the building, he opened the door and let them in. He was about to scold all of them for being late, when he saw the sleeping and injured mutant in Quicksilver's arms.  
“What happened to him?”  
“We’ll explain later, Beast,” Magneto said while taking his seat. “Let’s just go home.”  
“Did you get what I needed.”  
“No, we got bored and decided to come back here for fun,” Quicksilver quietly and sarcastically replied while he was buckling Dallas in.  
Beast rolled his eyes and started the jet. In a couple of moments, it was speeding off into the daylight sky.

Pietro was sitting next to Erik, struggling to keep his eyes open. His head lolled side to side not on purpose, but because he just didn’t have enough energy to hold it upright. He felt his eyes close on their own accordance, beckoning him to succumb to sleep.  
“You can rest if you’d like,” Erik said next to him.  
“What about-”  
“If anything happens to Dallas or to anyone here, I’ll wake you up. Just sleep.”  
Pietro let his eyelids close back down and he felt himself becoming lighter and lighter. His head lolled to the side and rested on a muscular yet soft surface that was pretty elevated. After a few moments, Pietro Maximoff was-

 **(April 16, 1983. 01:05 PM)  
** “Pietro, wake up.”  
Pietro blinked his eyes open and noticed that, for a third time, he was resting against his father. Unlike the last two times, he didn’t move his head from where it was resting: he actually enjoyed having someone to lean on this time around. His eyes slowly travelled to the jet’s metal floor which led to the door. He turned his head slightly and saw that the door was open and that Dallas was nowhere to be seen.  
“Where’s-  
“All back inside. Hank’s checking over the wound right now.”  
“Huh...you didn’t go with them?”  
“No,” Erik replied nonchalantly. “Although I would appreciate it if you stopped drooling on my jacket.”  
Pietro sat up from where he was resting and wiped his mouth with his sleeve. After a couple of moments of silence, Pietro stood up, stretched his muscles, and began to head out of the jet.  
“Well, I think I’m going to take a nap for a day or ten.”  
“Another one?” As Erik asked this, he stood up and followed his son back towards the mansion.  
“Hey, a guy needs his sleep!”  
“Alright. We’ll wake you up when dinner is ready. And you **will** eat this time.”  
“Alright alright. I’ll eat. Peace out, Erik.”  
“Pietro?”  
His son turned around so that he was facing Erik. “Yeah?”  
“I’m proud of you.” There was no sarcasm or humor in his voice. Only honesty and warmth.  
Pietro tilted his head for a second, taken by surprise by the sudden praise. After a moment, he shot Erik an honest-to-God smile...his first real smile since April 3.  
“Thanks. I’m proud of me too.”  
He vanished from Erik’s sight before he could come up with a snarky remark.  
As he ran back to his room, Pietro muttered underneath his breath, “Thanks dad.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So we got to see Pietro act like a big brother again! Yay :D In the comics/TV show, he's pretty arrogant and selfish, but I feel like in this story, he would be more protective and a little bit more caring! He had a baby sister to look after and I feel like that experience alone would've change his personality a lot!
> 
> The next chapter will feature more of the mutants in the mansion! Also, there will be an update with Apocalypse in the next chapter!! Things will really begin to pick up after the next chapter!!!
> 
> Questions/Comments/Concerns/Insults/Thoughts of love??? You know what to do :D
> 
> Take Care and Party Hard :0)


	13. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all :0)
> 
> Here is another chapter! This one is actually pretty exciting and features some new characters ;) 
> 
> Warning: Grammatical/Spelling errors and possibly slight OOC-ness!
> 
> I hope you enjoy!

**(May 10, 1983. 12:00 PM)**  
“What are you up to?” Pietro asked as he sat down on a bench located on the outside of the Xavier Mansion.  
“Listening to the squirrels again,” Doreen Green replied.  
Pietro snapped his head down so that he was looking at his feet and saw at least twenty brown, fluffy squirrels pooling around his Converse sneakers. He raised his eyebrow and looked back at Doreen.  
“What are they saying?”  
“They just want something to eat.”  
“Oh.” After an awkward pause, Pietro continued. “So, what exactly can you do with your, ” as he said this, he motioned his hand downwards, scanning the younger mutant’s body, “powers?”  
Doreen smiled and flicked her hand. In an instant, all of the squirrels jerked their heads upright and climbed onto Pietro’s lap, much to his confusion. Instinctively, he stood up and tried to walk away from the bench in order to knock the fluffy creatures off his lap, but their sharp claws just dug right through his pants and into his flesh. Pietro closed his eyes at the sudden pain.  
“Ow ow ow,” he chanted.  
“I can communicate with squirrels and tell them what to do,” she replied cheerfully.  
“Oh, that’s...OUCH...awesome! Can you tell them to lay off now?”  
Doreen smiled and after a second, all of the squirrels were back on the ground, watching the two taller species with anticipation. Pietro rubbed his sore legs and gingerly sat back down, eyeing the squirrels.  
“Jesus, talk about an army! What else do you have?”  
“I’m stronger than most girls my age, can run faster, climb better, and fight better.” As she listed off her capabilities, Pietro took note in the amount of pride that was in her voice. He smiled, enjoying talking to a mutant who was unquestionably proud of who they were.  
“Is that all?”  
“I can hear, smell, and see things clearer and faster than everyone else.”  
“Really?”  
“Yeah! I can hear your heart beating right now.”  
Pietro automatically placed his hand over his heart and leaned backwards, playfully fearful of Squirrel Girl. His actions earned him a smile from the younger mutant and caused her to move closer to him. He smirked and ran around her, now sitting on her other side in a flash. She snapped her head to where Pietro was now sitting and was about to lunge at him again, when she felt herself being lifted up into the air and placed securely on Pietro’s shoulders. She let out a small laugh and softly grabbed his silver hair to prevent herself from falling backwards. After she was sure that she wouldn’t fall, she sighed and looked at the white satellite across from them. Pietro looked up to see the little girl’s amused face. Doreen felt Pietro’s eyes on her and she looked down into his brown eyes. She smiled.  
“I’m glad you’re happy again,” she said, lightly hugging Pietro’s forehead.  
“What makes you think I’m happy?”  
“I can feel it in your heartbeats, energy, and smile.”  
The older mutant smirked and followed the girl’s gaze at the satellite. “I’m sure you can.”  
They remained silent for a couple of minutes, each one of them lost in their own thoughts. Occasionally, a squirrel would nibble on his shoelace, but that didn’t completely interrupt Pietro’s thinking. Reflecting on these past couple of weeks, he did feel a lot better. Slowly, he’s found himself interacting with the mutants more and more, up to the point where they just began to talk they way they usually did before his family died. His eating and sleeping habits seemed to go right back to their original form, and he paced himself while training in The Danger Room. His relationship with Erik was improving, while a mentor-like relationship between himself and Charles (as well as Logan) was also beginning. At times, Pietro would silently asked Charles for advice when it came to nightmares, serenity, and dealing with the kids. And, to Pietro’s relief, Charles would always provide him with a pretty damn good answer. Speaking of the kids, he found himself watching over Doreen and Dallas, the two youngest mutants on the team, more frequently. Although there were plenty of moments where he would get flashbacks of Lorna when playing with the two, he pushed them aside for the time being and focused on the present. He enjoyed acting like a big brother to these two, even if they reminded him of Lorna from time to time. He was snapped out of his thoughts when he felt sharp claws embed themselves in his skull.  
“Ow, what’s-”  
“I hear something.”  
Pietro gently placed Doreen back onto the ground and looked around to see what she was talking about. His head kept snapping from one side to the other, eyes trying to detect the possible threat.  
“Did you hear that?”  
“No.”  
“It sounded muffled and quick.”  
“Alrighty Doreen, I need you to be my ears and tell me where you hear whatever you’re hearing.”  
“Um, it’s about ten feet away from here. Wait, now it’s five feet. Now two? It’s right-”  
Before the mutants could comprehend what was going on, a puff of blue smoke appeared right in front of them. Pietro quickly pulled Doreen behind him. After the blue smoke cleared up for a second, it revealed a completely blue figure with fierce yellow eyes that resembled one of a cat. He had sharp claws that looked fairly similar to Doreen’s and a semi-long blue tail with an arrow-shaped tip at the very end. Pietro grabbed the stranger’s bright red jacket in order to halt its actions, but in an instant, he was engulfed in the same blue smoke and airborne. Everything was moving in a blur: he had no idea what was happening and where he even was. Suddenly, he found himself lying on the ground, the jacket still locked in his grip, a couple of yards away from where he was just standing. He shook the last remains of the blurry dots that made their way across his vision, and yelled to Doreen.  
“Get back in the mansion! Now!”  
He didn’t get a chance to see if she’d heard him because he was once again engulfed in the blue smoke.

 **(May 10, 1983. 12:15 PM)**  
The older mutants --Hank, Alex, Erik, Charles, and Logan -- were all sitting in a large living room in the mansion. They were going over the serum that Hank finally managed to replicate these past few weeks when Hank stopped mid sentence.  
“Something’s off,” he said as he stood up, sniffing the air in the process.  
“What do you mean, Hank?” Alex asked.  
“There’s someone here, or rather, coming here. And-”  
Before he could finish his answer, a blue puff of smoke appeared and out came Pietro along with a blue covered stranger who not only resembled Raven, but Azazel as well. The dark blue scales and bright yellow eyes perfectly matched Raven’s in her mutant form, while the razor-like tail, sharp claws, and smooth hair mimicked Azazel’s look. Plus, the what everyone was assuming, teleportation also belonged to the red-scaled mutant. However, none of the mutants could connect the dots further when the two mutants suddenly vanished.  
“Pietro!” Erik shouted.  
The ‘poof’ came again and the two mutants appeared in front of them again, this time landing on a coffee table. Erik sent out a metal fire poker to wrap it around the stranger’s arms in order to stop him from choking his son. The blue mutant must’ve sensed what he was doing because before Erik could realize what was going on, the blue mutant appeared right in front of him and kicked him right in the face in mid air, causing him to fall onto the ground and send the fire poker flying who knows where. While Erik clutched his now bloody nose, Logan pulled out his still bone-like claws, growling at the attacker. The blue teleporter didn’t even hit the ground when he suddenly appeared at Logan’s right side. He quickly yet painfully kicked Logan’s right hip, making him yelp in pain and stumble backwards into the desk beside him. Before Alex and Hank could release their full power, the stranger appeared right between the two, grabbed their heads, and slammed them against each other with a loud crack: even Pietro winced at the noise. The silver-haired mutant saw the yellow eyes find Charles’ blue eyes, and before the stranger could advance on Charles, Pietro quickly stood up from where he was lying on the table, ran up to blue mutant, and grabbed him. He pulled the mutant away from Charles and had the intention of slamming him into the nearest wall in hopes that it would knock him out. However, before he could get close enough to the wall, he was teleported away from the group of mutants and onto the same coffee table he was lying on just moments ago. However, because the fall was at a much higher height compared to the first time he landed on the table, the impact on his back was much more painful and numbed his legs for a couple of seconds. As he was trying to regain the feeling of his legs, Pietro looked behind the mutant and saw a knife being raised between his tail. The blue-scaled mutant stared directly into Pietro’s own brown eyes, silently daring the other to try to run. Pietro closed his eyes, waiting for the stab, but then a powerful and booming voice stopped the mutant’s actions.  
“Enough!”  
While Pietro, as well as the other mutants who were laying on the floor in pain, were still moving, the mutant on top of him seemed to be frozen in place. Pietro snapped his head to the Charles, who was staring at the mutant on top of him. Pietro quickly connected the dots and realized that Charles was halting the mutant’s movements with his mind. With that in mind, he rolled of the table and crawled to where the other mutants were. Then, one by one, he carefully assisted all of them back to their feet, earning him nods and smiles of gratitude. He then bent down and rubbed his back, or rather his spine, in order to try to ease the throbbing sensation that didn’t seem to stop. Charles glanced at his companions, making sure that they didn’t sustain serious injuries, before turning his attention back to the teleporter.  
“Drop the knife,” Charles commanded.  
Instantly, the knife fell from the the tail’s grip, clattering onto the ground. Erik used his powers to fling the knife into his hands, making sure that it was a safe distance away from the mutant and, more importantly, his son. Erik and Charles glanced at each other before turning their attention back on the frozen mutant.  
“Now, I’m going to count to three. When I reach three, I will release you from my hold. However, if you make a move to attack anyone in the mansion again or to escape, I will freeze you on the spot. And then you’ll be stuck under my control for a very long time.” Charles hated the threats he was making to the young mutant, but he had no idea if this newcomer was a threat to the students or not. He couldn’t take any chances.  
“One...two...three.”  
Instantly, the mutant slumped downwards, bending down so that he was resting against his legs. The mutant’s eyes were wide and filled with shock and fascination. After regaining control of his breathing, he straightened up and looked at the mutants, specifically Pietro. Erik followed the blue mutant’s gaze and, once he realize who he was looking at, moved slightly forward in front of his son to block the blue mutant’s view.  
“I’m sorry,” the mutant said with a slightly thick German accent. “I didn’t mean to cause this much chaos. I thought he,” he continued as he pointed at Pietro, “was wanting to attack me.”  
“I thought you were going to attack Doreen.”  
“Who?”  
“Never mind.”  
“Who are you?” Logan asked as he slowly made his way closer to the mutant.  
“Kurt Wagner.”  
Kurt extended his hand outwards, hoping that someone would have the heart to shake it. After a few glances around the room, Logan sighed and roughly shook the young mutant’s hand.  
“Logan. I’d say it’s a pleasure to meet you, but I’d be lying.”  
“I know and I’m sorry that I assumed that you all wanted to harm me!”  
“Why are you here?” Charles kindly asked.  
“I-I saw you in Providence, in the Lab! You guys are mutants like myself, no?” The others nodded. “I tracked you down here because I thought you would like to be informed about something.”  
“What is it?” Alex chimed in.  
“There is a mutant who has been causing unimaginable damage. He’s over seven feet tall, blue and grey, and seems very strong. He took my mother away from me and made her into something...different. Something darker, colder, and savage.”  
“What’s your mother’s name?”  
“Mystique.”  
Everyone, with the exception of Pietro, froze at the name. Mystique had a child, and it was standing right in front of them all. Erik and Charles especially looked shocked, both men staring at each other in disbelief. Before Charles knew what he was doing, he rolled himself closer to the young mutant, who cowered in fear.  
"Did I say something wrong?"  
“Of course not! Do not worry! None of us are going to harm you,” he gently said. “We need to ask you a couple of questions. Would you be willing to answer them for us?”  
Kurt looked around the room, unsure of why they suddenly wanted to ask him more questions. He looked at Pietro, who shot him a quick smile that silently told him that everything would be okay. Sighing, Kurt rubbed the back of his neck and sat down on the couch.  
“Okay,” he said in defeat, “I’ll tell you what you need to know.”  
Suddenly, the living room door burst open and in came Scott, Orono, Warren, and Doreen, all of them positioning themselves in a combat stance. The older mutants on the other side of the room simultaneously raised their hands in order to prevent the younger mutants from attacking their visitor.   
“So I’m guessing that we missed something?”  
Alex rolled his eyes. “Everything’s okay, Scotty.”  
After Scott, as well as the other youngsters, assessed the situation carefully, they all calmed down and deactivated their powers. Kurt watched with fascination as he saw lightning slowly retract back into the girl’s fingertips, beautiful white wings slowly fold back behind the blonde mutant’s, and squirrels unwrapping themselves from the little girl and running out of the open window.  
“Are those squirrels?” Kurt asked.  
“I know right?” Pietro added behind Erik. "What an army."

 **(May 10, 1983. 10:59 AM)**  
Deep underneath the Giza Necropolis, one of the few locations in the world that has remained untouched by wrath of the deadly mutants, laid multiple tombs filled with gems, bones, hieroglyphics, and endless tunnels. Any soul who dared enter the pyramids could likely never come out alive. And deep underneath the layers and layers of tombs and tunnels laid a huge cave, guarded by a Mystical Arachnid and two Egyptian Guardian Statues. If anyone survived getting past the guards, they would most likely have to travel down almost a hundred stairs that led up to an enormous pyramid located in right in the center of the huge cave. The pyramid was covered with hieroglyphics that told the story of the rise of a powerful yet unknown force. Located within this massive cave was En Sabah Nur, along with Famine. They both walked around the giant pyramid in order to examine the pieces of art that surrounded the ancient artifact.  
“The speedster hasn’t gone mad with rage,” Sabah Nur stated. “He’s a lot stronger than he appears.”  
“What do you propose we do?” Famine asked.  
“I noticed a teleporter spying on us back in Washington DC. He’s the only living thing that has seen my true formation, abilities, and motives. He’ll probably warn the group of mutants harbored back at the Xavier Mansion.”  
“We should just attack them now, master.”  
“Patience! They’ll expect us to attack them...but we need to let them attack us. Once they are here, I’ll choose which of mutants I want on my side, whether they like it or not. And then, I’ll have my army!”  
“How will we get them here, master?”  
“It’ll be easy.” He moved forward towards a small, rock dungeon that almost anyone would miss, and kneeled down to check on the occupants of the cell.  
In the first cell, there was a purple-haired mutant wearing purple armor. In her hands were purple psychic katanas, as well as knife. Her eyes were blue, yet seemed to contain zero emotions. In the next cage was another mutant with hair as red as fire. She was kneeling against the back of the cell, staring at the giant mutant above her. Sabar smiled and turned back around to face Famine.  
“We have two telekinetic captives, one an assassin and another who can harness the Phoenix Force at will, in our midst. Knowing Charles Xavier, he’ll discover the location of these two and send some of his best students to come and fight us all. And then, once they all arrive, they will discover that I, Apocalypse, am not a force to be dealt with.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To make things clear: Jean Grey and Elizabeth "Betsy" Braddock (Psylocke) are the two captives in the very large cave! And if you're all wondering why they can't escape, that will be explored in future chapters ;)  
> Also, yay! Nightcrawler is here :D He has a huge role in the next chapter (in terms of information). Also, Pietro will receive some pretty great news ;)
> 
> Questions/Comments/Concerns/Insults/Thoughts of love?? Feel free to write them down :D
> 
> Take Care and Party Hard :0)


	14. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all :0)
> 
> Here's another chapter! I may go back and edit this one because I feel like I rushed some of the dialogue a bit. 
> 
> Warning: Grammatical/Spelling errors and possibly slight OOC-ness!!
> 
> I hope you enjoy!!!

**(May 10, 1983. 12:30 PM)**    
Erik winced as he reluctantly pressed a cold ice pack to his swollen nose, which thankfully stopped bleeding. Hank and Alex also had ice packs pressed against the purple lumps that were forming right on their foreheads where they, or rather Kurt, slammed their heads. Logan and Pietro thankfully didn’t need an ice pack, but rather continued to rub the throbbing areas that lingered. Charles looked at the battered mutants with sympathy before turning his attention on Kurt, who was sitting on the coffee table nervously. His eyes kept shooting from one mutant to the next, paranoid that they were going to try to attack him again. After a couple of silent moments, Charles cleared his throat.  
“Start from the beginning.”  
Kurt nodded a little too frantically and began. “I don’t remember much when I was born, considering that I was an infant. My memories truly begin in Bavaria, where I grew up as a circus performer. I was an acrobatic and ariel artist. Anyways, I lived with a mutant named Margali Szardos, who was a fortune teller at the circus. I she, as well as the other performers, raised me and helped me control my mutation. Then one day, a man named Arnos Jardine bought the circus and relocated us all to Florida, where I was considered a freak. In fact, Jardine drugged me in order to prevent me from leaving the circus because my mutation was considered the main attraction.”  
“So how did you escape?” Alex asked.  
“Well…” Before Kurt continued, he saw Pietro get up from his seat and begin to run to different parts of the living room, inspecting random objects and books.   
“Ignore him,” Erik chimed in, grabbing Kurt’s attention again. “He has the attention span of a fruit fly.”  
“And how!” Pietro added as he suddenly appeared behind Erik, who jumped in surprise at the sudden voice.  
Smirking, Pietro began to once again explore the living room. Realizing that the silver-haired mutant would probably never stop running, Kurt cleared his throat and continued.  
“Uhh...anyhow, a mutant child sensed my distress and freed me, giving me the opportunity to run away from the circus. Until I was fifteen, I was living on my own: hunting, stealing, and-”  
“Why?” Charles asked.  
“Survival,” both Logan and Erik responded unanimously. Kurt tilted his head in surprise before continuing. “It was when I turned fifteen, which was a couple of months ago, when I met my real mother, Mystique. And by some luck, she recognized me and took me in. She brought me along her crazy adventures, infiltrating buildings and all.”  
“I’m sorry to interrupt,” Hank suddenly said, “but do you have any idea who your father is, or was?”  
“Mother told me his name was Azazel.”  
Alex immediately shook his head, Hank pursed his lips, Charles sighed, and Erik simply face-palmed. All of the men, with the exception of Pietro and Logan, were brought back to the debatably good old days: a time when everyone’s potential had yet to be discovered, mutants remained hidden, and both Erik and Charles hadn’t inflicted physical and emotional scars on each other.  
“You all knew him?” Kurt asked.  
“We’ve encountered him once or twice,” Charles replied.  
“Oh… During my time with her, I felt like we had a connection that expanded deeper than a typical mother-son relationship-”  
“Like an Electra Complex?” Pietro asked from afar.  
“I think the term you’re looking for is Oedipus Complex,” Erik corrected.  
“Same thing,” Pietro dismissed.  
“Nothing like that! While my mother taught me how to defend myself, as well as my values, I taught her how to be magnanimous. You know, forgiving, kind, and humane. I noticed her change since I first began to tag along with her. She began to avoid conflicts and focused more on protecting those lesser than the two of us. She seemed...better. Then, a couple of months ago, she just vanished without a trace. I spent weeks trying to track her down, praying to God that nothing bad happened to her. Then one day, I was watching the news and I saw her fighting alongside a huge blue and grey mutant in Boston. She was killing people as if she’d done it since she was an infant: she tore bodies in half, broke necks, shot, stabbed...the list just goes on and on. Her eyes were pupil-less, meaning that her whites, or rather yellows, completely covered her eyes. And they were glowing, almost as if-”  
“She was possessed,” Charles finished as he began to put the pieces together.  
“They both were an indestructible team… One day, by some miracle, I managed to track them down and follow them to Washington D.C this past month.”  
Pietro, who was skimming over a book, froze and slowly looked at Kurt. The memories of finding his mother and sister dead in his own home attacked him. He tossed the book aside and began to slowly walk back towards the couch all of the others were sitting on or around.  
“You were there?” he asked.  
“I was there, but I arrived too late. The damage was catastrophic, as you all probably know. However, I did manage to get some humans slowly out of the state and away from the two.”  
“Like who?”  
“A couple of adults, some teenagers, and an infant whose mother unfortunately perished. I got to the girl in time moments after he tore her spine out of her stomach.”  
Pietro and Erik winced as they mentally pictured her spine getting torn from her stomach. Suddenly, Pietro asked a question.  
“What did the little girl look like?”  
“I don’t exactly remember….the only thing that stands out in my mind were her beautiful green eyes and the purple stuffed bunny she was holding.”  
Pietro vanished from Kurt’s sight for a second before reappearing in front of him. He knelt down in front of the teleporter and handed him Lorna’s purple bunny.  
“Did the bunny look like this?”  
Kurt slowly took the bunny from Pietro’s hands in order to inspect it. After a few moments, Kurt nodded. “Yes! It looked exactly like this one. I just wish I could remember what she looked like!”  
“Perhaps I can help,” Charles chimed in as wheeled himself closer to the two mutants. “One of my abilities is to connect the minds of two living species together in order for them to either silently communicate with each other or to get a glimpse inside their consciousness, specifically  memories. If I allow Pietro quickly look over your most recent memories, it would not only help him answer a question that I feel is starting to grow, but also help you remember as well.”  
Kurt and Pietro looked at each other before nodding. Charles approached the two and lifted a pair of fingers from both of his hands.  
“This may hurt a little bit,” he admitted. “Just try to calm your minds once the memories begin to hit both of you.”  
They both nodded, squeezed their eyes shut, and felt fingertips gently tap their forehead. In a second, both Kurt and Pietro were swallowed by darkness.

 _Pietro snapped his eyes open and found himself standing a couple of feet away from his former kitchen, before it was covered in blood and guts. He tried to look around but then realized that he had zero control over his body. Before he could process what was going on, he found himself starting at a bulky, blue back that seemed to have metal wires wrapped around it. He also saw his mother being lifted up by her throat by the stranger, or giant. Pietro’s instinct was to run up to her and protect her, but he remembered that he had no control over the situation...he was about to witness his mother die right in front of him. In less than a second, he saw a huge fist puncture her stomach with ease, before it reappeared soaked in blood, now holding a spine, as well as some organs. The sounds of bones snapping, as well as organs squishing, were heard loud and clear. Before Pietro could vomit, faint, or scream, he found himself being engulfed in the same blue smoke he saw when he was being teleported by Kurt. Then the realization hit him: everything that’s taking place is being seen from Kurt’s point of view. He watched Kurt teleport himself upstairs, frantically looking around for any other occupants in the house. Suddenly, the sound of crying entered Kurt’s (as well as Pietro’s) ears. Kurt ran into a green nursery in order to investigate the source of the sound. He quickly walked over to a green crib and saw a year-old baby hugging a purple bunny and wailing her eyes out. Kurt gently picked up the baby with his blue hands and cradled her in his arms._  
_“Where did you come from?” Kurt asked. "Shh," he coed, "everything is going to be okay." A booming sound from below grabbed his attention. He realized that he didn’t have a lot of time._  
“ _I’m going to get you out of here.”_  
_In an instant, he found himself standing a couple of yards away from the destroyed home with Lorna in his arms. He noticed that the bunny that she was holding was no longer in her tiny hands: she must’ve dropped it right as they teleported. Sighing, he looked down the body-littered street before vanishing from the neighborhood all together._

With a gasp, Pietro jolted back into the real world. He threw himself backwards and would’ve hit the seat of the couch behind him, however, Erik’s firm grip on his shoulders prevented him from making contact with the couch. Pietro’s vision slowly cleared, revealing the face of a concerned Erik kneeling in front of him.  
“Are you alright?” he asked fearfully, gently shaking his son’s shoulders to bring him back to the present.  
Although Pietro got his breathing under control, his mind was completely lost in a sea of emotions. He had seen and heard his mother’s spine getting ripped from her body. The look on her face right before as she was about to die, as well as the horrific sound bones snapping, would be embedded in his own mind forever. That said, he also just witnessed Kurt saving Lorna from certain death! Lorna was still alive!!  
“Pietro,” Erik asked more frantically, “are you alright?!”  
Pietro’s eyes slowly found Erik’s wide and fear-laced eyes. The mighty grip Erik’s hands had on Pietro’s shoulders didn’t let up: in fact, they only tightened. Pietro nodded and shot Erik a small smile in order to assure the older mutant that he was alright physically. Erik still didn’t look convinced, however his hands loosened their grip. Pietro slowly slid back onto the couch in order to not only find a place to rest after that experience, but also so that he’d be sitting right in front of Kurt, who looked at Charles with fascination and curiosity. Once Pietro was situated onto the couch, Erik slowly let go of his son’s shoulders.

Charles, on the other hand, alternated between looking at Pietro and Kurt. He was also inside Kurt’s consciousness and was haunted by the death of Pietro’s mother, as well as what the figure looked like. In all of his years being alive, he’s never seen anyone that huge, muscular, and dark. If this was the enemy they’ve been trying to track down, he knew instantly knew that this battle would be a lot more difficult. He placed a comforting hand on Pietro’s knee.  
“Pietro, I’m so-”  
“She’s alive,” the silver-haired mutant muttered. “She’s still alive!” He then looked at Kurt. “Where did you leave her after you left my neighborhood?”  
“I briefly hid her inside an abandoned warehouse a couple of miles away. I wanted to examine the mutant, as well as my mother, more carefully. When I got some information, I went back to the little girl and eventually left her in a small orphanage just outside of Canton, Ohio. I made sure that she would be in good hands. I’m just curious, why do you care about a little girl so much?”  
“Because she’s my baby sister. And the women who was murdered by that giant was my mother.”  
“Oh,” Kurt said astounded. “I-I’m so sorry for your loss.”  
Pietro sighed and looked at Erik, who was eying the blue-mutant curiously.  
“Did the mutant have a name?” Hank asked.  
As Hank asked Kurt, he pulled out a file that was still sitting peacefully on a small desk throughout the surprise attack minutes ago. He opened up the file, picked out a image that was part of security camera footage, and handed it to Kurt.  
“That’s him! That’s the mutant who took my mother,” he yelled with excitement, as well as anger.  
“That’s what I figured. According to my research, as well as numerous text books, his name is En Sabah Nur. He’s also been known as, ‘The First One.’ Does this name ring any bells?”  
“No. Like I had said earlier, once I got his little sister out of harm’s way, I went back to further investigate what was going on with my mother. I found them sitting on top of some rubble just outside of the neighborhood, just talking. I managed to hear a couple of things before I felt like they could sense my presence.”  
“Like what?” Alex asked.  
“He said something about purging the weak, including mutants. He talked about his vision of a better world, where the powerful would remain unchallenged, and where his kind could roam around this planet freely. He said something about free-will, weakness, and finding Horsemen. He mentioned you,” he continued as he directed his eyes at Pietro, “a bit.”  
“What did he say?” Erik asked.  
“He talked about how they killed his mother, and how they wished that they could've gotten to his little sister. The main thing I remember him saying was, ‘Now all we have to do is watch the little speedster break.’ What do you think he means by that?”

Without any warning, Pietro grabbed an empty vase that was resting on a table to the right of the couch and threw it with all of his force against one of the walls. His once bright, hopefully eyes were now filled with grief and rage, a look Erik himself has seen (as well as displayed) hundreds of times. Before he, or anyone else in the room could comfort him, Pietro ran out of the room. Charles sighed and looked at Erik, silently asking him if he wanted to check on his son. Erik smiled at Charles, stood up, and headed towards the door. However, before he completely exited the room, he turned back to the group of mutants and addressed Kurt.  
“Did he mention anything else?”  
Kurt looked over his shoulder so that he was looking at Erik and swallowed. “He said from here on out, any survivors who remain breathing in this world will address him as Apocalypse.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter will include a small Erik and Pietro scene! It will also set up the stage for a confrontation between Apocalypse and the X-Men ;)
> 
> Questions/Comments/Concerns/Insults/Thoughts of love??? Feel free to share them with me :D
> 
> Take Care and Party Hard :0)


	15. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all :0)
> 
> Here's another chapter! This actually turned out to be a lot shorter than I originally thought...at least it's an easy read :/
> 
> Warning: Grammatical/Spelling errors and possibly slight OOC-ness!!!
> 
> I hope you enjoy!!!

**(May 10, 1983. 01:00 PM)**  
Something that Pietro never mentioned to anyone was how much he enjoyed the view from the satellite. Following the DC attack, Pietro found comfort in isolation. Despite the heart-to-heart talk he had with Erik that night, he still didn’t desire to talk to anyone back at the mansion about how he was feeling or what his next move would be. In order to find seclusion away from the others’ consternation and questions, Pietro one day decided run to the top of the satellite dish and sit there for a couple of seconds. Those seconds expanded to minutes, which then expanded to hours. Eventually, Pietro found himself sitting on top of the white satellite dish by himself almost everyday. No matter the weather or temperature, the captivating view always brought him back to the spot. Directly facing the mansion, Pietro could see just how large, or rather how small, the mansion looked from the outside. Sometimes he would sneak up on top of the dish to watch the sunrise or sunset; the beautiful sight taking his mind off of his family. Then there were cases where he chose a random time during the day to sit on top of it in order to avoid the occupants of the mansion. However, his favorite time to sit up on the dish was during clear nights, when endless stars and bright moonlight lit up the dark sky. Climbing up with a flashlight, he would mostly run to the top of the dish, sit on the small balcony, and just stare at the night sky for hours. Whenever he looked at the bright stars, he felt a mixture of invincibility and vulnerability: while the sky offered him infinite opportunities, the dizzying height always kept him grounded. So, it was these reasons he found himself sitting on top of the satellite once again.  
This time, however, the beautiful view of trees, hills, and the mansion couldn’t calm him down. All he felt was hatred, pure hatred. Sabah Nur, or whatever the hell his name is, not only murdered his mother in cold blood, but also had the intention of doing the exact same thing to Lorna. Lorna: his infant, vulnerable, and innocent baby sister who never laid a single hand on an ant. Pietro’s mind kept going through numerous scenarios of how Lorna would’ve died hadn’t Kurt saved her in the nick of time. He pictured Lorna getting crushed between the giant’s enormous hands, blood and guts seeping between his fingers like water. He imaged his sister getting her insides pulled out through her throat, the gurgle-sound of her choking on her own blood, as well as intestines, unexpectedly appearing in his imagination. All of these possibilities not only made him outwardly shudder, but also ignited this feeling of rage and hatred. He’s never ever felt this way before; not even Erik’s screw ups and lies ignited something as deep as this. Besides, Erik has slowly made up for his mistakes. The uncontrollable desire for revenge, comfort, and termination at first overwhelmed his mind. But as the time went by, his learned to control and embrace what he was feeling. He needed to confront the asshole who dared harm his mother and little sister. He wanted to end the monster believed sending a message to him through his family was a smart decision. He just wanted these feelings of hatred, emptiness, vengeance, and hurt to go away.  
“I see you’ve found my sanctuary,” a British voice said.

Pietro snapped his head upwards and found himself watching his father fly upwards towards where he was sitting.  
“Wait,” Pietro stuttered, “you can fly?!”  
“I can manipulate Earth’s magnetic field in order to aid me with my flight.”  
“Huh,” Pietro said with fascination. “Is there anything else I should know about you that we haven't covered yet?”  
Erik smoothly landed right next to Pietro on the balcony before sitting down beside him. “If I told you everything now then there wouldn’t be anymore surprises. And I figure you’re the type who loves surprises.”  
Pietro snorted and looked back at the distance, sighing as he did so. Erik followed his glance and took in the beautiful view. Considering that today was a slightly foggy day, the sunlight was muffled and made everything look more blurry. Still, the view was quite spectacular.  
“You know, I haven’t been up here in almost twenty years.”  
“Really? What’d you do up here? Actually, do I really want to know?”  
“Pushed one of Charles’ students off the ledge is all.”  
Pietro raised an eyebrow and smirked. “Really? Wow man, you really are a shifty bastard.” A beat. “So I’m guessing whoever you pushed survived.”  
“Correct. He used his vocal chords to carry his weight and give him the power of flight.”  
“What was his name?”  
“Sean Cassidy, or as he called himself, Banshee.”  
“Sean Cassidy...I’ve heard that name before. Yeah! Alex brings up his name once in a while; apparently they were pretty close. So where’s Banshee now? Why isn’t he with us? Did he just give up on you or-”  
“He’s gone.”  
“Gone as in…”  
“Dead. Experimented on by scientists who were responsible for creating sentinels, those robots you saw at the White House ten years ago.”  
“Jesus,” Pietro mumbled. “Poor kid.”  
“You would’ve liked him.”  
“I bet I would’ve liked a lot of things but we don’t always get what we want in life, do we?” Pietro sarcastically shot at Erik.  
Erik tore his eyes away from the view and looked at his son. “I know how-”  
“Listen,” Pietro began more angrily as he returned Erik’s gaze, “you wanna prove to me that you know how I’m feeling? Then show it. Don’t just tell me! Prove it!” He looked back outwards. “I’m getting pretty sick of words.”  
“What do you mean?”  
“They don’t mean anything to me anymore! I'm sick of people telling me that they're whatever, almost as if they just want everyone to move on. Actions speak louder than words, am I right?”  
“You don’t think I’ve felt rage before? You don’t think I wanted vengeance against the monster responsible for killing my mother right in front of me?”  
“Just because you and I have gone through the same shit doesn’t mean that we know exactly how we feel!” Pietro shouted, his voice wavering due to threat of crying. He swallowed the lump in his throat before he looked sadly at Erik. “That mutant killed my mother in cold blood. He ripped her spine and intestines out through her stomach. He was going to do the exact same thing to my sister.”  
“I understand. And I-”  
“Don’t you dare say it,” Pietro growled.  
“I lost my mother in the camps all because I failed to lift up a coin! I lost my wife and daughter because of my powers. You lost your mother and sister because of your gifts. Our mutations, but more importantly, our identities, are the reason we’ve lost so many we love. I’m quite familiar with the desire for justice, vengeance, and bliss. I know that feeling of loneliness, despair, and rage. At first, those feelings overwhelm you, halting your ability to think straight. But once the settle in, you learn to adapt and embrace the emotions. The need to rid yourself of these feelings drives you and-”  
“What’s your point?”  
“In order to rid ourselves of these feelings, we need to act. We may not be able to bring the ones we love back...but we can avenge them.”  
Pietro stared at his father with hints of admiration, confusion, and horror. Although he understood where Erik was coming from, the need to avenge the death of someone loved and lost sounded a lot more vicious out loud than it did in his own head. Like Erik said, all of these emotions he was currently feeling would build up and would continue to do so until they came out in a fit of violence. That fit could occur during the worst possible time, affecting his friends and himself in the process. He needed to vent out his anger and the only effective way to do would be to confront and hurt the mutant responsible for causing him so much pain. That all said, taking a life is easier said than done. Although he tried to convince himself otherwise, he knew deep in his heart that he couldn’t kill anyone, no matter how cruel they were. Even if they were hurting Lorna, he just wouldn’t have it in him to take a life; instead, he would resort to causing permanent yet non-fatal damage to those who hurt the ones he cared for...including Erik. Sighing, Pietro shot Erik a small smile.  
“Sorry man, but there are other ways to vent out rage and frustration: ways that don’t involve mass killings.” Erik tilted his head in confusion, so Pietro rolled his eyes and continued. “Say you went on some kind of mission to kill the person who hurt you...no matter how hard you try, there's always collateral damage. The ones around you are just as exposed to your own rage than your target; companions, friends, family. If I went up against that mutant right now, you would have a high chance of becoming a victim along with the mutant. If you confronted the one responsible for killing your mother and experimenting on you back in the camps, someone else is bound to suffer either mentally or physically.”

Erik’s world seemed to fade away and flashbacks of the attack against Shaw in Cuba appeared before him. Pietro was right: his desire for vengeance ended up costing him his students but most importantly, Charles. In all honesty, he didn’t regret killing Shaw; in fact, he still doesn’t. His death wrapped up a chapter of his life that would’ve only gone on longer if spared the monster’s life. However, his desire to go even further and exterminate an entire species ended up costing him Charles. It was because of his need for vengeance that Charles lost his legs, students, and confidence. Charles, as well as the other students, were the victims in his blind need to kill. He couldn’t help but wonder what would happen if Pietro confronted Apocalypse who would suffer… This all said, Erik knew that Pietro would never get back to his normal self until the mutant was gone. It was a fact. He shared the same rage and emotions Erik felt after Shaw killed his family and after humans killed his daughter. It was only after they all met their demise when Erik felt normal again. Pietro was the exact same case...but unlike his father, he seemed more balanced and had better control of his emotions. Before he could dive deeper into his thoughts, he straightened up and looked at the mansion below. After a couple of seconds of silence, Erik turned to his son, who was staring at him with confusion.

“You okay?”  
“Charles seems to be informing me of something huge.”  
While Erik moved to stand up, Pietro remained seated on the balcony.  
“What’s he saying?”  
“He’s found Apocalypse.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things will pick up really fast after a chapter or two :) And a confrontation between the X-Men and Apocalypse will develop! I've already planned it all out; there's a mixture of dialogue between three characters (one of them being Apocalypse) and fights. There also may be a special guest joining into the mix as well ;)
> 
> Tomorrow is my last day at college for the year and I'm going to spend the next two days packing and leaving :D If I don't update this story for a little bit, it's just because I'm going to be super busy! But as soon as I get back home, I'll update the story as much as I can :D
> 
> Questions/Comments/Concerns/Insults/Thoughts of love??? *whispers* You know what to do ;)
> 
> Take Care and Party Hard :0)


	16. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all :0)
> 
> I'm home and found some time to write another chapter :D This one is dialogue heavy as well, so just a warning for those who prefer action.
> 
> Warning: Grammatical/Spelling errors and possibly slight OOC-ness!!
> 
> I hope you enjoy!!

**(May 10, 1983. 01:45 PM)**  
Pietro followed Erik down a humongous dark blue corridor with fluorescent lights outlining the bottom and top of the hallway. Pietro’s head kept moved in all directions in order to examine the hallway. The young mutant looked at the hallway with curiosity and awe, catching Erik’s attention.  
“If you keep jerking your head around like that, it will fall off.” Silence. “You’ve been here for two months and never discovered this part of the mansion?”  
Pietro simply shrugged his shoulders without taking his eyes off the fluorescent lights. Eventually, they stopped at a metal, circular door with a ‘X’ touching all ends of the circle. Right in the center of the ‘X’ was a circle... a simple circle. Suddenly, the ‘X’ seemed to split in half and the circular door slid open. Charles, Hank, and Logan walked out of what Pietro could tell was a dome-like room. Behind Logan, there was a narrow pathway, that seemed suspended on air, which led to a metal desk with a helmet placed on top of it. Pietro quickly ran past everyone to examine the room more carefully. He stood in front of the desk and stared at the helmet, temptation overwhelming him. He was about to lift up the helmet when he turned around and noticed that the doors were about to close. He ran back behind his father right as the door shut.  
“What is that?” Pietro asked.  
“I beg your pardon?”  
“The helmet with the crazy shit coming out of it: what is that? What does it do? How do you use it?”  
“You didn’t put it on, did you Pietro?!”  
“Relax Charles,” Logan answered as he pulled out a cigar, “if he put on the helmet he’d be drooling mess back there.”  
“I’m going to guess that it’s only for mutants who have telepathy?”  
“Correct,” Erik replied.  
“Wait, how do you know that? You’re not a telepath and you don’t seem to have brain damage although recent events have made me reconsider that possibility.”  
Erik rolled his eyes. “I helped Charles create Cerebro twenty years ago.”  
“What does it do exactly?”  
“It enhances my powers,” Charles replied as he rolled past Erik and Pietro down the hallway. “With it, I can track down any mutant or human in the world. I can listen to their thoughts and communicate with them from here.”  
“So you could track and talk to someone who lives in, say, China?”  
“Correct.”  
“You can track down anyone?”  
“Yes,” Charles replied slightly more annoyed.  
“Really?”  
“Yes!!!!”  
“Even Lorna?”  
Charles stopped for a second in order to take in Pietro’s statement, or rather request. Sighing, he looked over his shoulder so he could look at Pietro, who was patiently waiting for an answer.  
“Yes,” Charles replied warmly. “Even Lorna.”  
Charles could see the boy’s eyes widen with excitement and hope, prompting Charles to nod at the boy, silently promising him that he’ll find Lorna soon. The mutants made their way out of the hallway and ended up all together in the living room they were previously occupying while Kurt told his story. With the exception of Charles and Erik, the rest of the mutants remained standing.

“So you tracked down Apocalypse with Cerebro or whatever you called it?”  
“Yes. He’s located in Egypt, underneath the Giza Necropolis to be more exact.”  
“Great! Let’s go over and-”  
“Are you mad, kid?” Logan asked. “You’ve seen the damage he’s capable of. If we confront him now, we won’t make it out alive.”  
“Come on! We have a telepath, a metal-bender, two energy shooters, a weather girl, a fire-shooter, an angel, a shadow-transformer, a teleporter, yours truly, and a girl who controls squirrels. We can’t possibly-”  
“If Apocalypse managed to wipe out hundreds of mutants, all with a diverse range of abilities, image how easily he’ll be able to take down only a dozen of us. Trust me, kid. It won’t be pretty.”  
“I also managed to track down two other mutants who were with him. I couldn’t identify them...in fact,  I couldn't even read their minds. I could only see them…”  
“My guess is that Apocalypse has some kind of control over them like he has with Raven,” Hank concluded.  
“What I don’t understand,” Erik added, “is why he suddenly decided to show us his location.”  
“Exactly,” Logan chimed in. “He either accidentally let his mind down for those couple of seconds Charles monitored him or-”  
“He’s hoping we’ll find him,” Charles finished. “Either way, we can’t just confront him. It’s too big of a risk.”  
Although he wished that he could just rip out that monster’s eyes right here and now, Pietro knew that his need for confrontation was based on emotions, not logic. Apocalypse could and would easily wipe them all out in a matter of seconds for obvious reasons: he’s immortal, strong, and thorough. Sighing, he nodded and looked at Charles.  
“So what do we do now?”  
Charles shrugged his shoulder. Pietro then looked at Logan, who was staring at his cigar. Hank looked at the floor nervously. Erik simply shrugged his shoulders and rubbed his forehead. When he realized that nobody had a solution, Pietro’s hope for justice died down a bit. This was the first time he’s seen the older mutants remain silent when it came to solutions. They usually were the brains of outlining situations, while he was the improviser who usually just went along with their plans unless something unexpected happened. This was the first situation where he felt unsure about improvising, knowing that it could potentially put his friends (and family member) in extreme danger. With that in mind, they couldn’t afford to wait any longer. Humans and mutants by the thousands were dropping like flies and would only continue to do so unless someone put a stop to the mutant, as well as his sidekicks. Suddenly, an idea popped into the speedster’s mind.  
“What if we go to his base and try to recruit the other two mutants you saw?”  
Charles looked up at Pietro. “We have no idea if they’re possessed or not, so how-”  
“If they’re controlled by Apocalypse, we just need to cut off his link to them and get them out of there before he tries to stop us.”  
“We don’t know the extent of his telepathy,” Erik countered. “For all we know, he could possess them while we’re trying to escape and make them turn on us.”  
“If he could control mutants from a far distance then I wouldn’t be here talking to you guys.” Everybody’s eyebrows raised at Pietro’s statement. “He could’ve just taken control back way back when and I wouldn’t have lost my mom the way I did. He could’ve taken control of any of you guys but he hasn’t. Hell, he could've take control of any of us now! But he hasn’t because he can’t. So we have a chance of bringing back those two mutants, as well as Mystique, back with us. Then, if we’re lucky, we’ll have more allies that we could use to be able to confront Apocalypse.”  
After moment of contemplation, Logan spoke. “Okay kid, say you’re right and we grab them out of the pyramids. How are we going to get to his lair? I think it’s safe to say that it’s guarded by crazy shit we don’t even know about yet. And just the five of us going in there is basically suicide, no matter how prepared we are.”  
“We could train the others."  
“Erik,” Charles warned, “you know how that went the last time.”  
“You’re right, I do know how it went. And while you saw mutants fighting against each other, I saw mutants fighting for their kind. I saw your students stand up against the men who’ve oppressed them for decades. I saw our students see their full potential. Even if we didn’t end up confronting Shaw, the students practiced mastering their powers! If the children here spend a few months mastering their powers -- with a little push from the both of us -- then we can save those two mutants. We can save Raven.”  
Charles stared at Erik, reluctant to go with his idea. While he couldn’t agree more that the students grew because of their training to avenge Darwin, this threat was much bigger than a couple of mutants. Apocalypse carried out calculated attacks across the world in a matter of months. He’s wiped out thousands of men and women. He’s managed to control mutants’ minds in order for his attacks to be bigger and deadlier. Even if they all somehow managed to escape with the other mutants, there was no way they’d get out unscathed. The physical and possibly emotional damage could end up being irreparable.  
“I just don’t know,” Charles replied honestly. “No matter what we decide, one party is going to suffer. And there’s been enough suffering already. Are you sure you want to risk the pain if we set out to find those mutants.”  
“It’s better than watching the world shatter around us."  
“Since when do you care about the human race?” Logan asked. “Last I checked, you nearly killed Nixon so humans wouldn’t have anyone to look up to in the hopes that they would eventually destroy each other in all of the chaos that would’ve followed.”  
“I don’t care about them,” Erik growled, “Apocalypse has been killing our brothers and sisters also. If he continues to wipe out everyone and everything in sight, there won’t be a world for anyone to live in anymore. What good is a world when there is nobody alive to claim it.”  
Charles looked at Hank. “What do you say? And please be honest.”  
“I-I don’t know.”  
Sighing, Charles turned to Logan. “And you?”  
“You know what I think about this whole situation, Chuck. Like you said, no matter what we do, both sides are going to suffer.”  
“How about this,” Pietro suggested, “we get everyone here together, explain the situation, and see if they’re in. If so, then we’ll plan out how to break the mutants out. If they decide they’d rather not, then we’ll figure out our next move later.”  
Charles pinched the bridge of his nose before nodding. “Okay. Tomorrow we’ll inform them of our predicament and see where they stand. It’s only fair.”  
Nodding, Pietro saluted the Professor before taking off out of the room. Hank and Logan walked out of the room as well, leaving the famous pair alone together.

“We need to try this, Charles.”  
“I know we do, and I agree with a lot of points you all have made during this discussion. But we can’t just put the lives of our students in danger just because of some assumptions we’ve made.”  
“Charles-”  
“Erik, my friend, say we do end up going to Egypt and free Raven and the others from Apocalypse within the next couple of weeks. What if the threat is much greater than we expected? What if Apocalypse and his soldiers are waiting for us? Are you sure you’re willing to risk the lives of students for a mutant we’ve only begun to see?”  
“You underestimate the strength your students posses,” Erik quietly retaliated. “Their age doesn’t define who they are and their skill level. Sometimes, all we need is a little push in order to unlock the potential, confidence, and soul someone has.”  
“I understand that, Erik. Twenty years ago, you and I came together and trained students like Raven, Hank, and Alex. Because of our training and compassion, we got to see them grow as fighters and individuals. But this isn’t like Sebastian Shaw, Emma Frost, or the others. We’re not dealing with any ordinary mutant.” Charles moved closed to Erik. “The threat is greater, as are the consequences. The student’s occupied here are much younger than Hank and Alex. Unlike those two, they haven’t even begun to scratch the surface in terms of their abilities. They lack control over their gifts and emotions, making them more vulnerable to attacks. I just- I don’t want to lose anyone else: especially those who have only begun to live.”  
“What are you-”  
“Pietro. He's changed since he arrived here. Back when I first met him during the 70s, he was this hyperactive, debatably selfish sod who stole for pleasure. Once he arrived here, he became an astute, thoughtful kid who willingly helped us gather the mutants residing in this very mansion. Now, he’s this independent, intelligent, and motivated man who’s recovering from traumatic events. You may not know this but admires you.” Erik raised his eyebrow. “Sure there are moments when he wishes he could push you off a cliff, but he admires your wisdom, independence, and heart. And because you two have spent a lot of time together before and after his mother’s death, he feels like he’s starting to actually become your son: he feels like he’s living again. If we go through this plan, you're putting your son's life in danger. Do you want to risk your son’s happiness, but more importantly, risk his life?”

Erik looked away from Charles and stared at the satellite he and Pietro sat on a while ago. He already knew the answer and knew that it would never change from now on, no matter how badly he denied it.  
“No,” he said. “I don't want to risk my son’s life for anything, not even for the mutant race. But I have to... for his sake.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not going to write out the debate :/ It would be way too much work and also would be kind of boring. But, based on how the next chapter will play, you all will be able to tell what the answer was ;)
> 
> The next two chapters will have dialogues, but they will be extremely crucial for the plot :D 
> 
> Questions/Comments/Concerns/Insults/Thoughts of love?? Feel free to write them down in the comments :D
> 
> Take Care and Party Hard :0)


	17. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all :0)
> 
> Sorry for the lack of updates. To be honest, I got into "Bob's Burgers", "Wolf's Rain", "Baccano!", and "The Following" since I arrived at home and have spent the past couple of days just watching all of the episodes. Sure my eyes hurt, I lost a good amount of sleep, and drowned in feels for a while, but I feel very happy that I found fantastic shows!! "Bob's Burgers" is currently my favorite out of the lot ;)
> 
> Anyways, here is another chapter :D Sorry about the CRAZY time jump here :/ I was reflecting and decided that it would be best just to briefly sum up the past two months rather than write every week down in detail. It could potentially get boring and confusing as well. Thanks for your patience and support!!!
> 
> Warning: Grammatical/Spelling errors and possibly slight OOC-ness!!
> 
> I hope you enjoy!!!

**(July 8, 1983. 6:30 PM)  
** After two months of rigorous training that would be worthy of a cliche movie training montage that seems to be featured in multiple motion pictures, the mutants at the Xavier Mansion were ready to head to Egypt. When the idea to rescue the mutants was announced to all of the occupants at the mansion, almost all of the youth seemed eager to head to Egypt. They wanted to not only help their own kind and stop Apocalypse, but also to put their abilities to the test. Everyone seemed excited about the idea except for two people: Charles and Erik. While Charles was already anxious about kids possibly fighting a humungous foe, Erik’s own eagerness died down as the months passed.

Although he would never admit this out loud to his own son, he felt increasingly proud of Pietro and valued almost every second he got to spend with him. Sure there were moments when Erik felt the temptation to duct tape his mouth or wrap the thickest metal around his legs in order to halt his too fast movements, but those moments were constantly overlooked and replaced with the better moments. Pietro and Erik unintentionally began to meet up at the satellite every week either to talk about random stuff, the mission, or to simply look at the beautiful view in silence. The older mutant enjoyed spending time up up there because he could not only bond with his son, but also because it provided him with rare moments of Pietro being calm and relaxed. With the exception of the time he brought coffee with him and shared it with his son (which he’ll **never** do again), their moments up there were peaceful, often funny, and deep. Erik also watched his son, as well as the other mutants, train in The Danger Room and felt pride swell in his chest whenever he saw one of the mutants beautifully and effectively take down the mannequins.  
Each mutant had their own special way of dealing with their target: Scott disintegrated a plastic model almost fifty feet away, Storm created a miniature tornado that threw another one to the other side of the room, Layla set one ablaze with her fireballs, Cain crushed another with a simple headbutt, while Doreen and Dallas used their enhanced speed and agility to quickly and effectively take the remaining mannequins down. Ink couldn’t really do much because his tattoos only effected living things, but whenever he pointed one of his marks at the mutants, his powers were immediately shown and caused some damage. Toad’s mucus stuck the items firmly in place, as well act like acid and melt them almost instantly.  Charles and Erik would always watch the students with pride and sadness, for memories of their first and original students constantly popped in their head. For the second time within their lifespan, the friends got to watch their students grow physically and emotionally. Any form of self-doubt was replaced with confidence, and any form of arrogance was crushed by humbleness. They valued each and every one of them as individuals rather than students, which only increased their reluctance to put them in the line of danger.  
Like Raven, Alex, Hank, Sean, and Darwin, they were young and almost naive to some degree. Despite the amount of training and inner confidence, they were still only kids who only scratched the surface of their full potential. Going to Egypt and rescuing the mutants was putting all of their lives at risk. All of them, including the adults, had so much to look forward to in life and it would be devastating if all of those dreams were to be crushed because of a mission. Erik was especially reluctant to let Pietro go to Egypt. He’s lost too many people he’s cared for because of either his own, humans’, or mutants arrogance and violence. Losing his son --his last remaining blood relative, as well as his source of humor, optimism, and hope -- would kill him. Pietro was an independent, cocky, and (now) selfless mutant who had the tendency to throw himself into any challenge that came at him. His mouth moved just as fast as his feet, which occasionally got him into a couple of sticky situations outside of the mansion. Erik wanted his son to live a full, happy life and worried that his personality, as well as Apocalypse, would put him into serious trouble. So, in order to try to relieve the stress both he and Charles were feeling, they created a plan with Logan and Hank that would be in effect as soon as they took off to Egypt tomorrow.

Their plan went as follows: Alex and Logan would lead Scott, Warren, Orono, Cain, Toad, and Doreen to the left, while Erik would take Pietro and Dallas to the right. Charles, Hank, Kurt, Ink, and Layla would stay behind in the jet they could direct their friends to their hostages, also to guard the jet. The plan wasn’t perfect, but it was the only one that ultimately made the most sense. With Erik protecting his son and Dallas, while Alex and Logan protected the other younger mutants, it seemed like everyone wouldn’t be left unprotected. Erik and Charles were playing a game of chess the evening before the mission in order to go over the plan once more, as well as reflect.

“So, do you feel prepared for tomorrow?” Charles asked as he moved his Queen forward.  
“Do you?” Erik asked back while his eyes remained focused on the board.  
“...No. Not at all. But I have to feel ready, for their sake.”  
“Agreed.”  
Charles and Erik looked up at each other. To Charles’ surprise, Erik looked extremely worried, reluctant, and sad. They both knew just how high the stakes were, as well as the consequences. Charles tilted his head.  
“I thought you were originally for this plan, Erik. Why are you now so reluctant to-”  
“You know why,” Erik said in defeat. “The same reason why Alex is afraid to let Scott come along. The same reason why you’re afraid to let any of the students participate tomorrow.” After a beat, Erik shot a small, sad smile at Charles. “We’ve got to see them grow, Charles. Just like Raven and the others, we helped them see their full potential and true personalities. We’ve gotten closer with everyone here and have become… I don’t know…”  
“A family?”  
Erik raised his eyebrow. “In some ways.” His voice lowered and almost came out as a whisper. “I can’t lose him, Charles. I just...I’ve lost too many people throughout my lifetime: people I’ve loved. If I lose Pietro, I don’t think…”  
Erik swallowed and quickly shot his eyes back at the chess board. He took in a shaky breath and moved his King. Charles patiently watched his friend silently worry over his son. He knew how strong Erik’s relationship with Pietro has become and the devastation they would feel if one of them lost the other. Considering that both men lost their loved ones due to tragic and sudden circumstances, their mental state was already permanently damaged. Another loss could set off something within the two that would result in unpredictable consequences. But like Erik has stated many times, they couldn’t afford to waste anymore time sitting back here. They had to get Raven back, save the other two mutants, and weaken Apocalypse as much as they could. Charles understood the importance tomorrow’s mission held, but also greatly feared the consequences it would bring to both parties. He leaned forward and placed a comforting hand on Erik’s shoulder.  
“Do you trust Pietro?”  
“Of course!”  
“Then you need to trust his intelligence and strength.” After Erik nodded, Charles smiled and continued. “You also need to trust yourself.”  
“What?”  
“I know that one of the main reasons you’re afraid of tomorrow is because you fear that you’ll fail to keep Pietro safe.”  
“That’s not true.”  
“You’re lying to a telepath, Erik,” Charles said flatly. “You’re strong, passionate, determined, and driven to get whatever you set your mind to do. All of us are aware of your commitment to keep Pietro, myself, and the rest safe during the mission. We believe in your outer and inner strength, and so should you.”  
Erik sighed and nodded. “Thank you, Charles.” After a pause, he looked down at his feet. “What if something happens unforeseen happens tomorrow? What then?”  
“Then we’ll figure something out...like we always do.”  
“We almost never have-”  
“You get the picture,” Charles cut off. “We'll catch you if you fall. You have nothing to worry about”  
“The same goes for you,” Erik replied as he looked into Charles’ blue eyes.  
“I’m flattered.” Charles looked out the window and at the satellite. “Your son is up on the dish again. Did you want to talk to him before tomorrow?”  
Erik looked out and saw a small figure sitting on the deck of the dish, looking out into the distance. Erik was immediately tempted to go out and talk to him, but he remembered that there was a chess game currently taking place. Charles shrugged his shoulders, knocked down Erik’s knight, and took a swing at his drink.    
“Now that our game is over, you should talk to him.” He began to wheel himself away from the table and towards the door. “Besides, I need to converse with Alex, Hank, and Logan one last time about tomorrow.”  
Erik thanked his friend before heading outside.

 **(July 8, 1983. 7:00 PM)**  
“Hey Superman,” Pietro greeted the older, levitating mutant.  
“Hello Pietro,” Erik responded as he gracefully landed beside his son. He sat down and stared at the beautiful sunset.  
“You ready for tomorrow? Same here.”  
“I didn’t even give you my answer.”  
“Ehh, I know how you’re feeling and I feel you.”  
“Last I checked, Charles was the telepath of the group.”  
“Dude,” Pietro began as he repositioned himself so that he was facing his father, “you’re sweating like a fountain, shaking like a leaf, and twitchy like a paranoid schizophrenic. You have fear written all over your body!”  
Erik’s eyes widen and he looked at Pietro. “Really?”  
“No, I just heard your conversation with Charles back at the mansion.”  
“You shouldn’t have eavesdropped.”  
“Well you shouldn’t have left the door unlocked,” Pietro shot back. After a few seconds of awkward silence, Pietro sighed. “You don’t need to worry about me, Erik. I’ll be fine!”  
“You don’t know that.”  
“You’re right, I don’t. However, I do know that I want to help Kurt get his mother back. I do know that everyone here is determined to free the other mutants and stop Apocalypse’s shit storm. And I do know that I, as well as the others, were trained by one of the best mutants around here. Sure this mutant can be angry, impatient, cocky, humorless, creepy-”  
“Pietro.”  
“Sorry. The point is that we all trust you. I know that you've got our backs if we need it. And that’s good enough for me.” Erik sighed and continued to stare out in the distance. “You do know that we’ve got your back too, right?”  
Erik looked at his son’s brown eyes and smiled. “I’m flattered by your desire to comfort me but-”  
“It wasn’t me trying to comfort you, Erik. It was an honest question.”  
“Still, my answer is yes. I do know that you all will provide me with protection if I require it. But that’s the problem.” Pietro tilted his head in confusion, prompting Erik to continue. “I don’t want you to throw yourself into danger if I find myself in trouble!”  
“Erik-”  
“I need your word that you’ll do exactly as I tell you. If I tell you to run, you will run. If I tell you to get behind me, you will get behind me. If I tell you to leave me, you **will** leave me!”  
Considering that Pietro had a free-spirited and rebellious soul since birth, he always had trouble following orders and would usually defy them. However, because the stakes are so high and the authority figures were actually decent beings who never demeaned him in any form, Pietro didn’t have it in him to go against Erik’s wishes. After all, he knew that Erik was only ordering him around like this because he was worried. Pietro smiled.  
“Fine. I’ll do whatever you tell me to do. However,” he began, raising his hand so Erik wouldn’t retaliate, “if I feel like something is wrong and that you or the others need my help, I’m just going to follow my instincts and do what I feel is necessary.” The silver-haired mutant took in Erik’s worried face, so he decided to make his case. “Like Charles said, you need to trust me that I’ll make the right decisions tomorrow, with or without your help. I’ve made it twenty-five years without your help and look where I am now! I haven’t turned out that bad if I do say so myself.” Erik still didn’t look convinced. “I promise that I'll be okay and obey your orders, only if you promise to trust me if I decide to act on instinct, okay?”  
Erik knew that Pietro had a point...a really good point. “Okay. I’ll stand down if you have a second opinion.”  
Pietro smiled and positioned himself so that he was staring back at the sunset. “Thanks man.”

For the remainder of the evening, father and son sat in silence and stared out into the distance. Both of their minds were overwhelmed with possible outcomes and fears tomorrow may bring. Tomorrow, freedom for Mystique and the other mutants could become a reality. Tomorrow, the students and adults would put their skills to the test and unite as one to save their own kind. Tomorrow, the fate of Apocalypse himself would be determined.

  
Tomorrow, the worst day of Erik Lehnsherr’s life would take place.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter will be huge! It may also have a very special guest ;)
> 
> Questions/Comments/Concerns/Insults/Thoughts of love??/ Feel free to write them down in the comments :D
> 
> Take Care and Party Hard :0)


	18. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all :0)
> 
> Here's another chapter :D This and the next one will be very dialogue heavy but play HUGE roles in future chapters!!! *whispers* the special guest will make their appearance ;)
> 
> Warning: Grammatical/Spelling errors and possibly slight OOC-ness!!
> 
> I hope you enjoy!!

**(July 9, 1983. 7:30 AM)  
** Everyone left Westchester, New York around midnight in order to begin their seven hour flight from the mansion to Egypt. Usually, a journey like theirs would last around eleven hours or more. However, Hank’s repairs made the journey quicker and smoother. The Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird now had an autopilot feature that would automatically take whoever occupied the jet back to the Xavier mansion without the requirements of a pilot. The Blackbird also had the capacity to carry more people. Before, the jet could only hold approximately eight passengers (not including the pilot and co-pilot seats). Now, it could hold up to fifteen passengers and had greater distances between each seat. Overall, Hank’s improvements basically made the journey bearable and quick for everyone, much to their gratitude.

When The Blackbird took off around midnight, the adults almost instantly fell asleep not only because they wanted to be in their best shape when they arrived, but also because they’d spent the most energy training the younger mutants and planning the mission. Charles was extremely grateful that Erik let him wear the infamous helmet because it barricaded the voices that would’ve continuously speak during the journey and ceasing Charles’ hopes for a peaceful sleep. Sure, he’d trained himself to sleep like a log back at the mansion, but because the mission was extremely important and also because he was in an already loud jet, he needed to get as much rest as he could in order to perform his best. Hank got plenty of rest the entire previous day, allowing him to stay awake and fly the jet. Charles, Logan, and Alex drifted off the sleep five minutes into the journey, while Pietro and Erik managed to stay awake seven minutes. Soon enough, the younger mutants succumbed to sleep and remained knocked out throughout the remainder of the trip. Around 7:00, Charles and Logan woke up, making them the first to do so. Charles was about to yawn when he felt an elbow nudge his hip for attention. The British mutant wearily looked at Logan, who was sitting beside him.  
“Aw,” Logan whispered, “isn’t that a sight for sore eyes?”  
The telepath followed Logan’s gaze and suddenly felt his heart melt at the warm sight. Across from where he was seated, he could see Erik’s head resting on Pietro’s shoulder and Scott’s head resting against Alex’s chest. Now more awake, he smiled warmly at Logan and nodded.  
“Indeed it is, my friend.”  
With the exception of Erik, one by one the mutants eventually began to wake up in a range of moods. While optimists like Orono, Scott, Alex, Doreen, and Warren woke up feeling happy and energetic, there were others who woke up confused and slightly disoriented. Pietro woke up confused when he felt a light weight resting on top of his shoulder blade. He was going to make the move to push off whatever was pushing him down, but he saw Charles instantly raise his hand in order to halt his movements. Charles took off Erik’s helmet, smoothed his brown hair, and tapped two fingers to the side of his head.  
_‘On your left,_ ’ Charles gently remarked.  
Pietro slowly shifted his head and quickly realized that Erik had fallen asleep against him. His instinct was to wake the mutant up and tell him to get off, but then he stopped himself. Throughout their time together, he had fallen asleep against his father three times and not once did Erik push him away but rather push the awkwardness aside in order to let him rest and recover from previous adventures. Sighing, he gently repositioned himself so that he would be at a better angle and let Erik sleep in peace. He looked back at Charles and took in the smile that was smacked on the telepath’s face.  
‘ _You’re enjoying this way too much, aren’t you Professor?_ ’  
Charles shrugged his shoulders. ‘ _What? I can’t enjoy this rare father-son moment?_ ’  
Pietro rolled his eyes and joined the others in watching the rest awake. Kurt woke up extremely confused, causing him to almost teleport himself out of the jet while it was still in the air. Dallas was scared and instinctively ran to Pietro, who slowly yet awkwardly helped the boy sit on his lap. When Layla awoke, she accidentally shot out a small fireball that hit Cain’s rock-hard helmet, causing him to jolt awake.  
“W-W-What’s happening?” he unintentionally yelled out loud.  
“Shhh,” Alex shushed, “some people are still-”  
“We’re here!” Hank shouted from the cockpit.  
“Nevermind then,” the blonde to himself.  
Erik moaned and tried to nuzzle his head even further against Pietro’s shoulder, much to the amusement of Charles and Logan. Pietro glared at the two before he began to wake his father.  
“Up and at'em! Come on, man. Wake up,” he coaxed in a joking manner. “Don’t make me punch you in the throat again…”  
“Not now, Magda,” Erik mumbled in his sleep.  
Pietro raised his eyebrow and looked at Charles, who was also taken by surprise at the slip. The two mutants stared at each other, trying to figure out what to do. After a couple of moments, Logan rolled his eyes impatiently, snatched the helmet out of Charles’ hand, and threw it directly at Erik’s head. His aim was perfect, for Erik jolted awake at the impact and looked around frantically. His eyes landed on his helmet lying on the floor and he glared at Logan, who simply shrugged his shoulders.  
“Think fast,” he said.  
Erik sighed and placed the discarded helmet back on his head. He looked to his left and saw Pietro and Dallas staring curiously at him. The older mutant quickly put the pieces together and slightly blushed.  
“You two didn’t wake me up?” he asked as he rubbed his eyes.  
“No,” Pietro replied nonchalantly. “Although I would appreciate it if you stopped drooling on my jacket.”  
Erik rolled his eyes at the memory Pietro was trying to recreate and stood up, stretching his muscles. The back of the jet opened and the warm summer air was instantly felt by all...as well as the waves of sand being blown by the wind and into the jet. Everyone in the jet shut their eyes in order to prevent the sand from seeping into their eye sockets.  
“Ororo,” Charles asked over the gust of wind, “would it be possible for you to direct the wind elsewhere?”  
The silver-haired mutant nodded and focused her attention outside. After a couple of moments of intense concentration, the wind outside shifted and began to blow West instead of East. When everyone felt like they were safe, they opened their eyes and stared at the white-haired mutant with pride, happiness, and fascination.  
“That...was...awesome!” Dallas shouted from Pietro’s lap.  
His praise earned him a smile from both Orono and Pietro. Everyone got up from their seats and prepared themselves for the mission. After a couple of minutes, they all turned to Charles, Erik, and Logan.  
“Okay,” Charles announced, “are we all ready?” All of the occupants nodded. “I’m glad to hear it. We’ll try to make this mission as quick as possible.Remember to do exactly what Erik, Logan, Alex, Hank, and Pietro tell you to do, alright? We don’t want to lose someone because of arrogance or pride! Good luck to you all.”  
They all smiled at Charles and began to split up into their assigned groups. While Erik was gathering Pietro and Dallas, he heard a voice in his head.  
‘ _You think the motivational speech was okay?_ ’  
Erik turned to Charles and smirked. ‘Honestly, it wasn’t anything grand. But perhaps it’s for the best...’  
‘ _I guess you’re right. I wish you the best of luck out there, Erik._ ’ Charles extended his hand for Erik to shake, which he graciously did. ‘ _Trust your son’s intelligence and heart...but most of all, trust yourself._ ’  
Erik nodded while he let go of Charles’ hand. ‘ _I will...good luck, my friend. I promise that I’ll get Raven back to and safely in your care._ ’  
‘ _I’m grateful for your promise, but my only concern at the moment is for you all to be safe in there._ '  
‘ _Likewise, Charles. Be careful and watch over_ -’  
“Are you guys having a staring contest?” Dallas asked from behind Pietro.  
The pair looked at Dallas, who was staring at the two with confusion and interest.  
“Don’t worry, they do that all the time,” Pietro dismissed.  
The metal-bender shot the two of them a small, humble smile. “Alright, let’s go.”  
As they exited The Blackbird, Erik looked over his shoulder and nodded to Charles, who smiled right back at him.  
‘ _Please be careful, my friend._ ’

 **(July 9, 1983. 7:45 AM)**  
“Okay, there are three huge pyramids to search,” Alex announced in front of the landmark. “Erik, you take Pietro and Dallas and search the center one, okay?”  
“That was already part of the plan,” Erik replied amused as he walked into the ancient tomb. “Hey Alex,” he began, “be carefully, okay?”  
Alex, taken by surprise by the sudden concern, nodded. “Uhh...thanks. Same goes for you three.”  
Erik nodded and headed into the pyramid with Dallas right on his heels. Pietro shot a warm smile at his friend.  
“You got this,” he said to Alex while nodding his head at the group he was leading. “Have fun, Alex.”  
“See you later, Pete.”  
With the first group now in action, he turned back to the remaining mutants. He was about to inform them of his plan when Logan’s voice interrupted him.  
“I’ll take Warren and Doreen with me to the far left pyramid.”  
Alex tilted his head. “I’m not so sure we should pull a Scooby-Doo and split up. We don’t know what could be in those tombs and-”  
“Relax, kid. I’ll look after them and contact you if anything bad happens. Besides, we want to get in and out of here as quickly as possible, right?” Alex nodded. “It will be a lot faster if all just search the pyramids simultaneously.”  
Alex looked at Scott, who unconsciously pressed himself closer to his older brother. Sighing, he nodded.  
“Fine...but if anything goes wrong, let Charles know as soon as possible, alright?”  
“Okay. Come on, kids.” As he led his small group towards the landmark, he turned to Alex and nodded. “Good luck, blondie.”  
Alex smirked. “Right back at you, Wolfy.”  
The blonde looked at the final tomb and began to walk forward. “Come on, gang. Let’s make this quick.”

Logan, Warren, and Doreen made their way down dozens of solid corridors and hallways that seemed endless. Every time the group turned a corner, they were greeted by either a dead end or another long pathway. While Warren and Logan were beginning to lose their patience, Doreen was always eager to see what each corner had in store. Even if there was nothing for them to see, she still was fascinated by the fact that she was actually walking through a historical landmark. They had no idea how long they had been walking underneath the tomb when something shiny caught Doreen’s attention. When Logan and Warren stopped in the middle of a corridor, Doreen silently yet quickly walked towards the light beaming from a hidden room. She reached the room and was greeted by a gold sarcophagus lying in the center of the crowded room. Around the item were pots and clay cases placed on top of multiple chests. The room was lit up by candles, revealing hieroglyphics painted all on the walls. The little mutant felt giddiness and excitement overwhelm her and she found herself needing to tell the other two about her discovery.  
“Logan! Warren!” she quietly shouted. “Hey, look what I found!” She was only greeted by silence. “Guys?” Nothing. “Hello?” She backed away from the room and realized that Logan and Warren were no where in sight. “Uh oh…”  
She was about to improvise a plan when she suddenly heard hushed voices coming from a short distance down another corridor. She stood up and began to slowly walk towards the source of the sound.

“Logan, where did Doreen-”  
“I found something,” the other cried aloud.  
“But what about-”  
“She’ll be fine! Hurry!”  
Warren ran towards Logan’s voice. He ended up in a large, empty room covered in hieroglyphics and bones.  
‘ _Bones_?!’  
Before he could evaluate the setting further, the entrance he came from suddenly slid close, effectively preventing him from leaving.  
“Logan?! What the hell is-”  
“Warren Worthington! Or would you prefer that I call you Angel?”  
The mutant froze at the deep, chilling voice that suddenly echoed the room. Suddenly, a large blue and grey mutant stood in front of him. His red eyes lit up the dark room, sending chills down Warren’s spine. The mutant smiled and kneeled down so that he was at an eye-level with the other.  
“You’ve got some beautiful wings there.”  
“Stay the hell away from me,” Warren growled as he backed away.  
“No need to worry, I’ll have plenty of time to deal with to you later. Right now, I’ve got to have a chat with a certain speedster. So if you don’t mind, I’d like to make this quick. Pestilence?”  
Warren frantically turned around so that he could look at Logan, but he froze in horror when he saw Logan’s eyes shine a bright yellow. His once brown eyes were now pupil-less, emotionless, and cold. The smirk that appeared on the mutant’s face greatly contradicted his eyes, horrifying Warren even more.  
“It’s always the one you least expect,” Pestilence slyly said.  
Warren was about to head towards the door when he suddenly felt a huge pair of hands grip one of his white, feathered wings, halting his movements all together. Apocalypse smiled as he watched the frantic, angry, and confused Angel try to escape his grip. Once he was sure the smaller mutant couldn’t escape, he tore off the wing with ease. His actions caused Warren to scream in agony and writhe in pain. Tears began to roll down his cheek while blood trickled down his back.  
“Trust me,” Apocalypse whispered, “these wings aren’t an efficient weapon. But with my help, they will be.”  
Apocalypse, Pestilence, and Angel never noticed Doreen pressed against on the other side of the closed doorway, listening to the events unfold. Covering her mouth, she frantically stood up and began to run back outside and towards The Blackbird.   
Apocalypse threw Warren onto the ground before approaching 'Logan'. "Do not worry, my friend. I haven't forgotten your reward."  
The eldest mutant took 'Logan's' hands in his and after a few chants, he let go of the mutant's hand to reveal the new and improved claws. The weak bones were now replaced with adamantium --indestructible and injurious adamantium.  
"Now let's pay Quicksilver a visit, shall we?"

Pietro, Erik, and Dallas were walking down their selected pyramid. To Erik’s surprise, he couldn’t feel a single trace of metal within their tomb. He always grew up believing that gold, silver, or any kind of material would be buried alongside the dead. The hallways were covered with hieroglyphics, each row telling a story that neither he nor the other two had the time or patience to decode. Pietro was upset because he expected to find some valuables like a golden sarcophagus or some ancient coins that he could steal and sell for money. Pietro would constantly run ahead of the two in order to see if there was any kind of treasure lurking around, and he would always come back disappointed. Dallas was upset because he hoped to find a mummy lying around here and watch it come back to life just like a horror movie he saw.  
“Well this blows,” Pietro complained aloud.  
“It’s emptier than I originally thought,” Erik added. “I can’t feel any metal.”  
Pietro stopped walking, taken by surprise at the unexpected statement.“What?”  
The oldest mutant took off his helmet and tried to reach Charles. ‘ _Charles? Can you hear me?_ ’ Nothing. ‘ _Charles?_ ’ “It also seems that I can’t communicate with Charles.”  
“Wait what?! How’s that possible?” Pietro asked.  
“Are we going to die?” Dallas fearfully asked.  
“Nonsense!”   
“Hopefully not.”  
Erik glared at his son, who simply shrugged his shoulders. “Thank you for that vote of confidence, Pietro.”  
“Hey, I call it as I see it."He looked around the long corridor and cursed. “Fuck. Maybe we should just turn back-”  
“Out of the question.”  
“Erik, you can’t find any metal because there isn’t any metal in this deathtrap! In fact, there isn’t anything in here! We’ve been walking down endless corridors and haven’t seen a damn thing: no sarcophaguses, jewels, bones, or anything else! We can’t even communicate with the homebase!!”  
“Homebase?”  
“Look, as much as I love walking down barely lit stone hallways with the smell of death hanging in the air, it’s too risky. We don’t have any potential weapons or communication.”  
“We can’t turn back.”  
“We’re literally newborn and exposed babies blindly crawling in circles!.”  
“Literally?”  
“You get the point! We don’t have a damn clue what we’re doing and don’t have any source of protection.”  
“So that’s it? You’re just going to abandon the mission?!”  
“I didn’t say that,” Pietro growled, “I’m just saying that-”  
“We haven’t found a single trace of the missing mutants yet! We can’t afford any delays.”  
“We’ll be dead before any delays occur!”  
“I need to find Raven!” Pietro was taken aback by Erik’s now slightly desperate tone, so he shut his mouth. “I messed up-”  
“What else is new?”  
“-and I need to make things right with her. I owe her and Charles that. She deserves better after what I’d done to her and Charles in Cuba.”  
“Cuba?”  
“Nevermind.”  
“Hold on, what exactly did you do?”  
“That’s none of your concern.”  
“Apparently it is! Because of your seemingly undying desire to save Raven due to a fuck up way back when, you’re now putting all of us in danger. What good will it do to her if you’re dead before you even reach her?!”  
“I need to get her back!”  
“You need to think logically!! You’ve told me this way too many times: don’t let your emotions drive your decisions.”  
“Guys,” Dallas whispered.  
“I’m not letting my emotions guide the mission.”  
“Guys.”  
“No, you’re not. You’re letting your emotions and past stop you from thinking clearly! Then again, you never were really thinking clearly to begin with.”  
“And how the hell do you know what I’m feeling or thinking?!”  
“I went through the exact same phase when my mom died!”  
“Similar pasts don’t solidify the reactions. I would expect you out of all people to know that.”  
“Guys.”  
“At least when I said that stuff lives weren’t on the line!”  
“Guys!”  
“What?!” the arguing mutants shouted in unison.  
Dallas winced at their raised tones, but then straightened up. “I hear something.”  
“Where?” Erik asked as he moved away from Pietro.

Dallas pointed his finger down a poorly lit corridor the led to a rectangular stone door frame. The entire frame was covered in small hieroglyphics. To the left and right of the frame stood two stone dog-headed statues that represented the Egyptian God Anubis, the God of mummification and the afterlife. The stone door was completely open, exposing sharp stalagmites. The tips of the stalagmites were visible and had water dripping from the top and down the thin frames. While Erik and Pietro eyed the opening suspiciously, Dallas tilted his head in confusion.  
“Don’t those spiky things hang downwards in caves?” Dallas asked.  
“Correct.”  
“And don’t we need to look upwards instead of straight across for us to see them?”  
“Yes.”  
“So-”  
“That means we’re above something,” Pietro finished.  
Father and son glanced at each other, both men trying to figure out how to proceed. Because they both had different opinions, a decision would probably never be made and only waste limited time. Erik sighed before he began to speak.  
“So Pietro, what’s our next step?”  
A look of shock, surprise, and slight joy appeared on the mutant’s face. “What?”  
“Our next move is your call.”  
“And why should I believe that-”  
“Because I trust you.”  
As those words slipped out of the British mutant’s lips, he felt waves of embarrassment, fear, and pride wash through his body. Although his dignity and well-being was now in the hands of his son -- a fast talking, fast-moving, naive, and cocky mutant -- Erik enjoyed watching his son finally accept an actual commander role. Considering that his own father didn’t live long enough to witness his own debatably bold and brilliant decisions and actions, it felt great knowing that Erik had the privilege of watching his own son achieve a list of fantastic things! He witnessed Pietro infiltrate and subdue an occupied research lab all while rescuing mutant brothers and gathering a serum that ended up become a game-changing weapon. He watched his flesh and blood push his exhaustion and emotional pain aside in order to comfort an injured and scared mutant after a chaotic battle. He saw his son stand tall and firm when pain, anger, guilt, and vengeance threatened to consume him...like they had done with his father. So now, during a time when decisions counted the most, Erik knew that he had to push his own pride aside and let his son take control over their dilemma. He snapped back to the present and saw Pietro smiling at him.  
“Okay old man, we’ll go with your plan and move forward to see what’s down there.”  
Erik raised his eyebrow in surprise. “I’m sorry if my words affected your decision in any way.”  
“I know and what you’ve said didn’t affect my decision...to a certain point.” Erik’s look of slight guilt promoted Pietro to continue. “Look, while you were staring off into the distance, I ran to the entrance and took a peek down below.”  
“And?”  
“There’s metal...like, a lot of metal. So I think we’ve got that problem covered. And if anything happens, we’ve got each other’s back.”  
Erik looked down at Dallas, who was looking directly at the entrance. The oldest mutant knew that their youngest one of the pack seemed eager to go down as well.  
“Alright,” Erik quietly said, “let’s move forward. Dallas, get into your shadow form and stay like that until I say otherwise, okay?”  
The youngest mutant nodded, ran into the wall, and merged with his shadow. Because the corridor wasn’t properly lit up, Dallas basically blended with the shadows, becoming a ghost. The other two slowly walked towards the entrance, their guards on full alert. Once they were standing underneath the frame, they paused and took in the sight below them.

Right below their feet was a stone staircase that held seemingly over one hundred steps. Each step was in almost perfect condition and seemed to have hieroglyphics painted on each one. When the staircase ended, there was an big black, metal-looking pyramid that sat directly in the center of a circular, dirt floor. Stalagmites hung from the roof of the cave, which Pietro and Erik were standing just below of. Both mutants stared down at the scene before staring at each other. Uncertainty, suspicion, and determination were clearly seen in both of their eyes. After a second of silence, they looked away from each other and back down at the black pyramid.  
“You ready for this?” Erik asked without removing his eyes from the contemporary-looking artifact.  
“Let’s find out.”

They began to make their way down the long and steep staircase. As he was moving downwards, Erik glanced at each step in order to evaluate the markings. To his surprise, each step seemed to recreate famous and historical events that took place throughout history, from the foundation of the Roman Empire to the fall of the Ming Dynasty. Erik also noticed that a blue figure was featured on all of the steps, acting like a bystander and watching the events unfold. Before he could put the pieces together, he heard a slam come from behind him. Both he and Pietro snapped their heads to their only entrance, which was now shut.  
“Shit,” Pietro cursed.  
The mutant ran up the stairs and began to push against the wall in an attempt to open it. Erik ran back up next to his son and tried to help him open the door.  
“Of course,” Erik muttered.  
“Erik…”  
“What?”  
“Where’s Dallas?”  
Fear washed over Erik. He instantly pulled his head away from the door and looked around the cave walls, hoping to find any trace of the boy’s presence. Unfortunately, the cave’s shadows completely covered the walls, making it impossible for him to find Dallas. He was tempted to yell out his name, but he forced himself to remain quiet.

“Pietro Django Maximoff,” a low voice echoed throughout the cave, “It’s an honor to finally see you in person.”  
Pietro and Erik froze at the chilling voice. Slowly, they turned around and found themselves staring down at Apocalypse himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Questions/Comments/Concerns/Insults/Thoughts of love?? Feel free to write them down in the comments :D 
> 
> Take Care and Party Hard :0)
> 
> P.S: Does anyone have any hurt!Erik/Peter stories they've come across (either on Ao3, fanfiction, or other sites) and would recommend?? I'm a sucker for hurt!insert character (as you will see as my story progresses ;) ). Because I've seen A LOT of hurt!Charles, I'd like to find some hurt!Erik or hurt!Peter stories :D I just like hurt/comfort because you get to see a protective side of characters that aren't shown in the films/tv shows :D


	19. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all :0)
> 
> Here is another chapter!! 
> 
> Warning: Grammatical/Spelling errors and possibly slight OOC-ness!
> 
> I hope you enjoy!!!

**(July 9, 1983. 9:30 AM)  
** Charles and his group were perched inside The Blackbird with their guards on high. For the past hour and forty-five minutes, he and the others stood guard over the jet all while keeping an eye on anyone or anything that could possibly come crashing through one or more of the ancient pyramids. In order to ensure Charles’ safety, Erik forced the telepath to agree to the decision that he would not telepathically communicate with the groups unless they reached out to him first. Not wanting to stress Erik out even more, Charles forced his mind to only reach out to the mutants in his group. He was about to ask Layla if she was comfortable when the presence of a distressed mutant running out of the far left pyramid touched his mind.  
“Hank,” he said aloud, “someone’s coming.”  
Ink and Layla instantly straightened up and ran outside of the jet, Hank following them. Kurt looked down at the professor with worried eyes.  
“An enemy?”  
“No,” Charles responded as he pressed his fingers to the side of his head, “it’s...Doreen.” After tracking her location, he looked back at Kurt. “Kurt, I’ve tracked her location. She’s about half a mile South from where we are currently planted. Do you think you could transport her here now?”  
“As you wish,” Kurt answered.  
In a second, Kurt was gone and left Charles staring at a puff of blue smoke. After three seconds, Kurt reappeared with Doreen in his arms. The first thing the telepath took in was just how much trouble she had breathing: she was on the verge of hyperventilating. Sand and dirt was plastered on her face due to the amount of sweat she was releasing. The main thing he noticed was just how horrified and confused she looked, almost as if she had seen a ghost. Charles quickly leaned forward in his seat and placed a comforting hand on her shoulders.  
“Easy,” he whispered, “take a deep breath. In and out. You’re safe.”  
He gently brushed her sweaty and sand-covered hair from her eyes before rubbing her back in a soothing manner. As she continued to gasp and regain control of her breathing, Charles continued to comfort her while repressing the urge to look into her mind during her moment of vulnerability. Finally, after a couple of seconds, Doreen straightened up and stared directly into Charles’ blue eyes.  
“Logan,” she wheezed, “was possessed the entire time!”  
Hank, who was just coming back into the jet, widened his eyes at the remark. Fear and confusion instantly washed over Charles. Controlling his emotions, Charles continued to calmly interrogate the young mutant.  
“W-What do you mean by that?”  
“I was walking with Logan and Warren in the pyramid. I accidentally got separated from them but I managed to track them down because of my hearing. They were trapped within a small room and  the door was shut tight, preventing me from going in. I heard Apocalypse.”  
“What did he say?” Hank asked while he approached her.  
“He made comments about Angel’s wings and told him that Logan was Pestilence! What does-”  
“The Four Horsemen,” Charles breathed out. “He’s gathering mutants so they’d become his Four Horsemen. How did I not see this coming?!” He turned back to Doreen. “Did he say anything else?”  
“He ripped off one of Angel’s wings and said he was going to find Pietro!”  
“Oh my god,” Hank said. “Professor-”  
“I’m already on it,” Charles said as began to mentally reach out to Pietro.  
‘ _Pietro? Pietro, can you hear me?_ ’ Nothing. ‘ _Pietro?!_ ’ He then tried another option. ‘ _Erik? Your son is in danger!! You need to get him out of there, now! Erik?_ ’ “Damn,” he cursed aloud. After a couple of seconds of thinking, Charles warmly said, “Thank you, Doreen. Stay here and rest. We’ll take it from here.”  
Doreen nodded and sat down next to Charles. The telepath began to grow confused as to why he couldn’t reach their minds. He’s never had this problem and it worried him why his powers suddenly decided to shut off. Unless..  
‘ _Alex, can you hear me?_ ’  
‘ _Professor? Are you okay? What’s going on out there?_ ’  
‘ _Listen, you need to go into the center pyramid and retrieve Erik, Pietro, and Dallas._ ’  
‘ _Why? Are they okay?_ ’ Charles could feel the worry and confusion in Alex’s voice.  
‘ _Pietro is in danger!_ ’  
‘ _What are you talking about?_ ’  
‘ _Doreen came running back here and told us everything. Logan was possessed by one of The Four Horsemen this entire time! He helped Apocalypse capture Angel, who’s now missing, and basically led Apocalypse to Pietro. I can’t reach them-_ ’  
‘ _That’s impossible._ ’  
‘ _I’m afraid it’s not, my friend. I believe that Apocalypse is intercepting my messages and is preventing me from communicating with Erik and Pietro._ ’  
‘ _Shit. Alright, I’ll take my group and we’ll track them down. Unless I communicate say so otherwise, do not try to connect with me once we enter the pyramid, okay? I don’t want to lose another mutant today._ ’  
‘ _Thank you for your concern, Alex. I’ll try my hardest to-_ ’  
' _No, you won’t try...you **will** not use your powers on us once we’re in. Apocalypse is apparently now a telepath and has the power to destroy anyone’s minds, including yours. Just stay there, please!_ ’  
Charles could tell that although Alex’s words were coming out due to actual concern for his well-being, the main reason he was so worried was because he had already begun to lose hope that his friend would make it out okay. He was afraid that Pietro and Erik had already perished, and he didn’t want to lose another mentor and friend. Charles briefly smiled at the realization before turning back to Alex.  
‘ _I’m sure they’re fine,_ ’ he warmly said. ‘ _Now hurry and be safe!_ ’  
Charles sighed and looked up at Hank, who was now in his mutant form. Hank growled at the thought that his friend, as annoying as he could be, was now a target. It also angered him that Erik would also become a victim if his son were to get hurt. As much as he hated the metal-bender, Hank firmly believed that no one should feel as much pain as Erik has felt throughout his lifetime. Losing his family in the hands of Nazi’s is one thing but losing his son, who he’d spent so much time with and bonded with, would break him. Erik didn’t deserve that...nobody deserved that.  
“Is there something I could do, Professor?”  
“Would it be possible to move the jet slightly closer to the landmark?”  
Hank nodded and moved to the cockpit. As the jet’s engines began to roar to life, Doreen leaned towards Charles and rested her head on Charles’ shoulder.  
“Will they be okay?”  
Charles looked at the worried mutant before wrapping his right arm around her shoulders. “Of course they will. They’re going to be okay.”  
‘ _They **have** to be okay!_ ’

“It’s such a pleasure to finally meet the fastest mutant in the world. Although I wish it could’ve been under different circumstances. I can tell that your mother’s tragic but necessary death has created a barrier between the two of us.”  
The silver-haired mutant instantly felt waves of pain, fear, and rage wash over him, threatening to consume and drown him. However, a warm and comforting hand gently pressed on his right shoulder kept him grounded. Pietro glanced at his father, who was looking at him with warm yet concerned eyes.  
“Breathe,” Erik whispered. “I’ll be right behind you.”  
Taking a deep breath, Pietro nodded and looked back down at Apocalypse.  
“Come,” Apocalypse gently ordered. “I want to show you around.”  
Erik removed his hand from Pietro’s shoulder all while keeping his eyes glued to the mutant below them. He was caught off guard when the other mutant addressed him.  
“I’ve forgotten my manners! Erik, please come down as well!”  
Father and son nodded at each other before they slowly made their way down the endless staircase. Erik’s eyes immediately went back to evaluating the engravings on each step. As he proceeded downwards, the historical events seemed to transition to more recent events: the American Revolution, the civil war, prohibition, the holocaust, and the civil rights movement were just a few of the many depicted on each step. And, like Erik previously deducted, the small blue figure was always resting right in front of the stone risers, acting as a bystander.  
“I see you’ve taken an interest in those beautiful steps, Erik,” Apocalypse stated.  
Erik snapped his head back up and found himself staring up (yes, up) at the blue and grey figure. He didn’t realize just how quick the journey downwards was when looking at the art engraved on the stone. He felt a ping of fear when he took in just how tall the mutant really was. The tallest mutant he’d ever encountered was Hank, who stood at six foot two. Apocalypse stood at seven foot three and it was one of the first times in Erik’s life that he had to look up at someone. He kept his distance from the mutant and stood right beside his son in case he needed to intervene.  
“Do you want to know what each step has in common?” Apocalypse asked as his eyes scanned the stairs. “They all depict moments in history when men destroyed their own kind. The arrogance, pride, and self-righteousness mankind has held since the beginning of time end up destroying them. All of the wars, all of the genocides and deaths occurred because a group of humans thought they were better than the rest. Their poison soon flowed through the veins of bystanders and, eventually, armies were created. Brotherhoods consisting of men, women, and children who held similar beliefs to one another soon began to turn against each other. And then, one by one they all fell like flies. Then, when it seems like the conflicts and wars are coming to an end, a new generation comes into the Earth and begins the same cycle over and over again. That’s where I come in.” Apocalypse’s red eyes burned through the pair’s layers of fake confidence and security, uncovering the fear and uncertainty they both truly felt. “I’ve lived through countless centuries and have been subjected to watch the rise and fall of dynasties, empires, and families. And, to be honest, I’ve grown weary of the repetitiveness of it all. At first I thought this endless cycle would never end and that I would be forced to wither away as a simple bystander of it all. But then you,” he continued as he pointed as Erik, “came along.”  
“I beg your pardon?” Erik asked.  
“When mutants and humans began to coexist, our kind were a thing of myths and horror. They were the monsters in children’s fairy tales, the things underneath beds, and the freaks everyone wanted to tame. Eventually, our presence died down and we blended with the shadows, crowds, and clouds. Then you, Erik Lehnsherr, became the knight in shining amour. You awoke the inner strength we’ve been forced to hide for generations and created the revolution we’ve needed decades ago.” He began to slowly approach the pair, causing Erik to unconsciously position himself in front of his son. “For the first time in history, our kind can freely walk the streets and use their powers. This breakthrough is just what we needed!”  
“What exactly did you have in mind?” Pietro asked as he approached Apocalypse, much to Erik’s dismay.  
“The cycle needs to be broken. The cycle that has poisoned the minds of humans and that has halted any kind of progress within society must end. That is why we need to take control of the world! Our kind has always been oppressed but because of this newfound strength, we can become the species that will put an end to all of this death and failure.”  
Pietro glanced over his shoulder to stare at Erik, who eyed him with concern. Swallowing, Pietro was about to speak when the giant mutant raised his hand, effectively shutting him up.  
“I already sense that you both disapprove of my plan, but what I’m doing is for the greater good. Humans have always been predominantly self-destructive... it's in their genes. Our kind is far more evolved, civilized, and powerful. If we took control of the world, we would break the cycle and write a new and better chapter in history. In fact, we could rewrite history all together.”  
“That’s not possible,” Pietro shot back. “We're no better than humans. Just because we're special doesn't mean that we have complete control and power over others. Everyone, mutant and human, has a free mind and no matter how hard you try, there will always be someone who'll hate your vision. They’ll form a union, or whatever, and rebel against you, creating the poison you seem so eager to get rid of.” He looked at Erik. “We may have an advantage in terms of survival, but in the end," he continued as he looked back at Apocalypse, "we're all the same: two species just trying to survive another day.”  
Apocalypse let out a bark of laughter, confusing the other pair standing in front of him. “You’re the first mutant I’ve ever encountered who saw himself being lower than humans! That will make you even more valuable.”  
“What the hell do you mean by that?” Erik growled.  
“I need some assistance with my goal. I’ll admit, although I am one of the most powerful mutants ever to exist,” he began which earned him an eye roll from Pietro, “I’m not God. There are some abilities that I do not possess; one being speed. And that’s where you come in.”  
Pietro felt his blood boil. “After everything you've done to my family, why the hell would I want to help you?”  
“Because you have nothing left to lose. You lost your mother, your sister, and now your father.”  
“You hurt him, I’ll kill you,” Pietro growled.  
“Believe me, I have no intention of hurting your father...my partner on the other hand.”

Before Pietro and Erik could process what Apocalypse just said, Erik suddenly went flying forwards into the pyramid.  
“Dad!”  
Erik’s head smashed against the steel-like material with a sickening crack. Once he landed on the ground, he automatically felt blood trickle down the side of his head. He also felt a pair of hands slide underneath his armpit and gently lift him into a standing position. Shaking the black dots away, Erik regained complete control of his body and forced himself to stand without his son’s assistance.  
“Dad? Meine Laborratte ist ein Vati? Herzlichen Glückwunsch, mein Haustier!”  
Erik froze at the familiar voice. He slowly looked up and found himself staring in Sebastian Shaw’s blue eyes.  
“Meine kleine Erik Lehnsherr,” Shaw warmly said to the petrified mutant, “es ist schön sie wiederzusehen.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dun dun dun!
> 
> The next chapter will have a lot of action! I promise!!!! It'll also go more in depth about Shaw's appearance and Apocalypse's plan! Also, I'm sorry about the horrible German!!! Thank google translate :/ If anyone has any corrections, feel free to write them down :D
> 
> Questions/Comments/Concerns/Insults/Thoughts of love?? Feel free to comment below :D
> 
> Take Care and Party Hard :0)
> 
> P.S: My search for hurt!Peter/Erik fics is still going on! If anyone has any recommendations, feel free to share them!! Thanks to those who have suggested some already!! I have a list as well but your suggestions only improve that list :D


	20. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all :0)
> 
> Well, it nearly killed me but after staying up for 36 hours, I finally finished this chapter! It's the longest one so just be prepared for a lot of reading lol I wanted to make this chapter right...so I'm sorry if I failed at that :/
> 
> Warning: Grammatical/Spelling errors and possibly slight OOC-ness!!
> 
> I hope you enjoy!!

“Impossible,” Erik breathed out.  
“Anything is possible, Erik,” Shaw said with a smile.  
“I killed you.”  
“Not necessarily.”  
“I killed you!! I drove the coin right through your skull! I saw the life leave your eyes!!! You can’t be alive!”  
“I can and I am.”  
While Erik continued to stare at Shaw, Pietro took in this new side of Erik he’d never seen before. He had always thought of Erik as a fearless and badass machine who lacked any kind of emotions, with the exceptions of anger or vengeance. The only time he’s seen Erik show any kind of compassion or fear was back in D.C, when he broke down after his mother’s death. However, even that moment and the conversation that followed were fueled by vengeance from his own past. Until today, Pietro thought Erik’s stone-like personality was unbreakable. However, he now discovered that what he’d been witnessing for the past four months was simply a mask. Underneath the seemingly indestructible mask laid a scarred, pain-filled man who was still hurting from the damage inflicted on him in the past. And as bad as it sounded, Pietro actually enjoyed witnessing this side of Erik for a number of reasons. It showed that he wasn’t as cold-hearted and arrogant as he presented himself to be. It showed just how big his heart could be, no matter how damaged or shattered it was. It showed just how human he really was. That said, Pietro wished that the mask would’ve come off much earlier down the road. His eyes snapped away from Erik and landed on the stranger standing in front of them.  
The man was a well-groomed brunette with blue eyes, who was wearing a wine button down shirt with a navy blue jacket. His black suit pants and dress shoes were extremely clean, contrasting the dirt floor beneath them. What really struck Pietro’s attention was the man’s smile...it was a smile he saw plastered on the faces of corrupt politicians, self-righteous police officers, and sadistic doctors like the ones back in Providence. In short: that smile was always seen on the faces of assholes. His eyes moved back and forth, examining both the stranger’s and Erik’s. Before he could come up with any kind of deduction, a smooth American voice caught his full attention.

“So, you’re Erik’s son,” the man stated as his blue eyes scanned Pietro from top to bottom. “I’ll be honest, I don’t see any physical resemblance. Although, you do have your grandmother’s eyes.”  
“Don’t you **dare** talk about her,” Erik growled dangerously.  
The mask was back into place.  
“I’m sorry,” Pietro said, “who the hell are you?”  
“I’ve forgotten my manners!” Shaw exclaimed as he moved to extend his right hand towards Pietro. “My name is Sebastian Shaw.”  
Something in Pietro’s brain clicked and flashbacks of his conversation with Erik in front of the fireplace back in April appeared in his mind. Sebastian Shaw, the man who killed Erik’s own mother right in front of him before torturing and experimenting on the traumatized boy minutes after. It was because of this man’s actions that Erik became the cold-hearted yet damaged man knew today. Because of Sebastian Shaw, Erik abandoned him and he had to grow up without a father for nearly twenty six years. Pietro’s soft eyes hardened and he found himself glaring dangerously at Shaw. His facial expression alone said everything Shaw needed to know from now on: I know what you did to Erik and if you hurt him again, you're dead.  
Shaw smiled and said, “I see your father updated you on our connection.”  
“Damn right he did.”  
“Did he ever tell you about my abilities? Did he mention the powers that I possess?”  
Pietro narrowed his eyes. “No…”  
Shaw snorted and smoothly walked towards the silver-haired mutant. Realizing what Shaw was about to do, Erik instantly pushed his son behind him and looked for any kind of metal that he could use to crush Shaw with. As soon as he felt metal beneath the ground, he sent it flying towards Shaw. Without flinching, Shaw simply swiped his hand to his right and all of the metal flew past him, much to Erik’s shock. He’s grown since his encounter with Shaw back in Cuba, so he didn’t understand how Shaw could still be even more powerful than he was despite being dead for over twenty years. He was about to attempt to fling more pieces at Shaw when he saw Pietro fly through the air and smack into the ancient steps behind him. It took a few seconds, but Pietro shook the stars from his vision and glared as Shaw.  
“I can absorb all forms of energy and transfer them to lifeforms like yourself," Shaw said with a smile. "What’s your-”  
His sentence was cut off when he felt a painful force ram itself against him, causing him to go flying into the staircase.  
“I can move faster than the speed of sound and ram into assholes like yourself,” Pietro replied in a mocking manner.  
To his surprise, Shaw didn’t look pissed off or hurt, but rather impressed. He watched Shaw stand up with ease, brush dust off of his jacket, and walk towards the pair again. He stopped only a foot in front of Erik, his cocky smile appearing on his face once again.  
“I can tell he’s yours, mein junge. He’s got your resilience, rage, and charisma.”  
Erik eyed his former torturer angrily while his hands searched for more metal. Apocalypse, who was watching this dramatic reunion and introduction take place, sighed and looked down at Shaw.  
“Gentlemen, as much as I would love for you all to continue your exchange, I’m afraid time is limited. Now Shaw, if you don’t mind…”  
Shaw nodded and quickly touched Erik’s forehead, causing him to smash painfully against one of the cave’s walls. Even with the Earth’s magnetic field, Erik still couldn’t position himself in time to prevent himself from flying ungracefully in the air. Shaw’s force, as well as his own oversight, caused him to fly into the wall and slide down onto the dirt floor in a heap. Stars and black dots danced around his vision while blood began to trickle down the back of his neck. His helmet, as handy as it was, didn’t seem to provide him any kind of padding if he happened to slam his head against any solid object. Suddenly, the light weight on his head was suddenly removed and he saw Shaw place the helmet onto his long brown hair. Erik was about to lunge viciously at the bastard when he felt an invisible force prevent him from moving. His eyes held accusation and hate, but they narrowed when they saw Shaw simply shrug his shoulders.  
“This isn’t my doing,” Shaw calmly said as he looked to his left.  
Erik followed Shaw’s gaze and froze at what, or rather who, he saw. A young female with unbelievably beautiful orange hair staring at him with emotionless (and pupil-less) green eyes that glowed like a nightstick. She was wearing a tight green and yellow jumpsuit. Her right hand was extended directly at him, meaning that she was the one pinning him against the wall.  
“Erik,” Shaw began, “I would like to introduce you to Ms. Jean Grey. Despite being only seventeen, her abilities already surpass a thirty year old’s.”  
‘ _That’s her!_ ’ Erik thought. ‘ _She’s one of the_ -’  
“I refuse to accompany you and your son with your rescue mission,” Jean said in a monotone voice.  
“H-How did you know that-”  
“She’s a telepath like Charles.” Shaw kneeled down and gently cupped the side of Erik’s head. “You know, it’s been quite some time since you and I have seen each other. And, as you can tell, a lot has happened since then. You’ve reunited with your son, reconnected with Charles, lost Raven, and now lost Warren.”  
“W-What?” Erik viciously struggled against the invisible force. “What did you do to him?”  
“More on that later. Right now, I want to visit your mind. If your world has changed, your fears must’ve also changed. I’m curious to see just how much you’ve evolved since our last encounter. Jean, if you would do the honors?”  
Erik’s struggled only increased, now becoming more frantic. His breathing hitched and his traveled from Shaw to Grey and back.  
“Don’t!” he yelled as Jean approached him. “Get away from me!”  
Shaw leaned forward and whispered in Erik’s ear, “Sie brechen, Erik. Das verspreche ich…”  
Before Erik could reply, he felt two fingers press against the side of his head. His world faded to black and-

 _He opened his eyes to find himself standing in front of a burning motel. Clearing his vision, he stood up on shaky legs and took in his surroundings. The cobblestone street was littered with the bodies of his fellow brothers and sisters. No matter which direction he turned, bodies seemed to appear in his line of vision and plop down in front of him. The smell of blood and smoke burned his senses, making him gag. He scanned the bodies and saw a lot of familiar faces: Orono, Scott, Alex, Hank, Cain, and more. However, the body who caused his heart to stop in fear and grief was-_  
_“Charles!” he screamed._  
_He ran past the bodies and slid onto the ground beside his bleeding friend. The wounds that covered Charles perfectly matched the ones that covered Mayra’s body back in D.C. However, he was dressed in the jumpsuit he and the others wore back in Cuba. Blood stained his teeth, face, and hair, causing Erik to nearly hyperventilate. He carefully lifted up Charles’ upper body into his arms and looked desperately into his blue eyes. Erik tried to say something, anything to keep his friend conscious and alive, but he just couldn’t get a single word out. He couldn’t even get himself to wipe some of the blood off of Charles’ mouth. Before he could try again, Charles’ gritted something out between his blood-stained teeth._  
_“Sh-She’s i-i-in th-the m-mot-tel.”_  
_Erik snapped his head at the burning building and saw a little girl with brown hair screaming from an open window. Behind her, flames were roaring loudly and consuming everything behind her at an alarming pace. He looked at her helplessly, not wanting to let go of his dying friend._  
_“Ojcze ! pomoc!”_  
_Erik connected the dots and realized who he was staring at. Still not wanting to move away from Charles, who’s become more limp, he screamed her name._  
_“Anya!!”_  
_The sound of her scream while she was being burned alive sent shivers down his spine while also causing tears to pile up in his eyes._  
_“L-L-Look-k wh-what you d-d-did t-to us-s-s all.”_  
_Blinking them away, he looked down and saw Charles staring up at the night sky. To Erik’s horror, his friend didn’t blink nor were his pupils moving. He lowered his head so that his ear was inches above Charles’ mouth and swallowed at the realization._  
_“No,” Erik murmured like a broken record, “no no no no no no no. This can’t be happening! This can’t- Charles! Wake up!” Nothing. “Please! I can’t do this without you! You need to wake up!”_  
_The sound of Anya’s scream continued to roar in his ears, almost causing him to double over in agony. He looked down at his friend’s corpse and was about to pull his limp body up against his chest when he suddenly heard the sound of someone clearing their throat. He slowly tore his eyes away from Charles and found himself staring at a large mob consisting of Nazi soldiers, American cops, poor rioters, and scientists. To his surprise, they weren’t yelling at him, beating him, or taunting him. They just stared at him with looks of satisfaction, anger, and fear. They were all also pointing wooden, glass, and plastic weapons directly at him. He made the move to address them, but a hand suddenly appeared in front of him. The hand smacked into his face and forced him backwards. However, instead of feeling cobblestone against his backside, he felt damp wood instead. Also, instead of feeling Charles’ cold body in his arms, he found that his arms were strapped with leather and plastic wires to the wooden surface. He lifted his head and found that the scene that was in front of him moments ago was now replaced with a cold, dark, and damp hallway. His arms and legs were tightly strapped against the metal table, preventing him from moving. His instincts took over and he struggled against his bonds. His head thrashed from side to side frantically while the rest of his body thrashed as well. A firm hand rested on top of his head, preventing him from moving any more, and was then quickly replaced with a leather strap. Another strap also was placed across his stomach: he was now completely immobilized. The only thing he could look at was the moss-covered ceiling with fluorescent lights dangling above him. His world began to move at a nauseating pace, causing him to shut his eyes in pain. Despite his dark vision, Erik could feel the wooden table moving._  
_“W-Where are you taking me?” When no one replied, he tried again. “Please, where are you taking me? What happened to Charles?”_  
_Realizing that no one was going to answer his questions, he began his useless attempts to escape the moving table. Like he predicted, he couldn’t escape and now felt blood seep through the leather material due to his skin rubbing painfully against the restraints. His eyes shifted from left to right and he saw the faces of many starved, exhausted, beaten, and tortured residents of Auschwitz staring at him emotionlessly. After a couple more moments of rolling and watching lights and camp residents quickly travel through his line of vision, the table stopped its movements. The leather strap holding his head in place was removed and he instantly shot his head up in order to look around. He quickly realized that he was in a research lab that looked very similar to the one he was placed in back in Auschwitz. He turned his head to the left and saw body bags hanging from the white ceiling, each one containing familiar faces: Magda, Mayra, Angel, Banshee, Azazel, Emma, Charles, Raven, and Hank. All of their eyes were open and lifeless, burning a hole in his already damaged heart. He looked downwards and saw his son shirtless and dangling from the ceiling, his wrists and ankles wrapped tightly in metal cuffs. Pietro’s back was covered with surgical scars, burns, black bruises, and fresh blood. His son turned his head as back as he could and met his father’s eyes. Erik felt his heart break when he saw the desperate and horrified look Pietro was shooting at him._  
_“Pietro,” Erik shouted from where he was lying, “I’m going to get you out of here, okay? Just hold on!”  
_ " _Th-They know," Pietro stuttered in pain._  
_He tore his eyes from his son’s terrified look and stared at a small figure dressed in a lab coat and a man dressed in a military uniform standing beside each other looking at a clipboard.  
"The facts don't lie," the smaller man said. "Peter Maximoff is a blood-relative of Erik Lehnsherr."  
"So what do you suppose we do?" the other man asked.  
"I propose we see just see how fast this speedster really is. If we think he's another useless freak in society, we'll kill him right here. But, if we think he's just as powerful as his father, then we'll use him to our advantage. Create a weapon of some sort. Sound like a plan?"  
The man in uniform let out a sadistic smile and then then pulled down a lever. Instantly, Pietro’s body started to jerk and wrench violently. Erik automatically knew that Pietro was being electrocuted and fought harshly against his bonds._  
_“Don’t! You’re killing him! Stop!!! Please!!!”_  
_The two men standing beside each other briefly looked at Erik before they smiled and turned up the voltage. His son’s grunts of pain turned into screams. Pietro’s frantic and desperate movements made him look like a moving blur. The men, who Erik deducted were Trask and Major Stryker, blocked out Pietro’s screams and continued to turn up the voltage. Erik felt tears slide down the side of his head and he felt sobs threaten to come out of his mouth. He swallowed them all and forced himself to look down to his right. His eyes caught the body of his mother, the bullet hole still fresh in her stomach, lying right beside the wooden table on the floor. She still wore the clothes she was given at the camp and her eyes still held the fear and pain that she felt back in the camps._  
_“Mama!” he yelled through gritted teeth._  
_He felt a hand roughly grab his chin and force him to look back upwards at the blinding light. The light, however, was replaced by the sadistic face of Sebastian Shaw, who was holding a sharp-looking scalpel in his right hand. Erik’s breathing hitched dramatically._  
_“Kleine Erik Lehnsherr.”_  
_“Herr Doktor, bitte nicht! Bitte!!”_  
_“Sie werden jetzt zu mir als Ihr schöpfer beziehen.” The tip of the scalpel was pressed painfully against his bare chest. “Ich bin dein Schöpfer.”_  
_“Y-You’re my creator,” Erik whispered in defeat while tears continued to slide down the side of his face.  
_ _The scalpel dug deeply into his chest, tearing through skin and flesh. For the first time since his mother’s death, Erik Lehnsherr screamed._

Pietro watched his father get thrown against the cave wall. He ran towards him, hoping to aid him again, when he felt a large hand wrap around his throat painfully and lift him into the air. His air supply was completely cut off, making the task of breathing completely difficult. He struggled against the strong grip and tried to blink away the black dots that began to swim across his vision.  
“You’re fast,” Apocalypse whispered, “But I’m much faster.”  
Teetering on the edge of unconsciousness, Pietro was suddenly flung back onto the ground. As soon as his back painfully connected with the dirt ground, he instantly stumbled back onto his feet, rubbing his raw throat and taking in as much oxygen his deprived lungs needed. He made no move to attack the larger mutant or aid his father, knowing that if he did either one he’d end up getting strangled to death. He straightened up and stared at Apocalypse.  
“Quicksilver, I need-”  
“How the hell did you hear that name?” Pietro rasped.  
“A little bird told me. I need you to understand what I’m proposing here.”  
“Oh I completely understand! You want to wipe out all humans to stop this cycle of killing or whatever you call it. You want to stop this cycle because you’re bored and because you’re tired of watching people fuck each other up. But that’s where you lost me. Actually, you lost me the moment you decided to kill my mother and target my baby sister in order to break me.”  
Apocalypse’s eyes narrowed. “How did you-”  
“A little bird told me.” Pietro slowly approached the larger mutant. “You’re not doing this for the mutant race. If you were doing this for our kind then you wouldn’t have purged all of those mutants these last few months. You’re wiping out those who not only show zero resemblance to you, mutation wise, but also to those who are against your goals.”  
“I’m purging those who are weak!” Apocalypse shouted, causing Pietro to flinch and unconsciously take a step backwards. “You, my friend, aren’t weak! Your abilities, both physical and mental, are just what this world needs! Mutants like Sebastian Shaw and yourself are destined to rule this world.”   
“They are plenty of other mutants who are stronger than myself. There’s-”  
“If you’re referring to your father, or to the group of mutants located at Charles Xavier’s mansion, you’re wrong. They’re weaker than you think, as seen behind me.”  
Looking around Apocalypse, he saw Erik sitting against the wall with his hands clutching his head. His eyes were squeezed shut and his breathing was erratic and heavy.  
“What are you doing to him?!”  
He moved closer to Pietro. “I’m proving a point.”  
“You’re torturing him!”  
Pietro watched Erik clutch his head in pain while murmuring gibberish-sounding words. The only word he understood was “mama,” and hearing his own father yell that in despair tugged Pietro’s heartstrings. His eyes caught two figures kneeling right beside him. One of them, who he identified as Shaw, was stroking Erik’s hair in an almost loving and gentle manner. However, the grin on his face tore any traces of compassion he could’ve felt for Shaw. To Erik’s left was a red headed girl with her fingers pressed against his head. Her eyes held zero emotions or compassion, and also had no pupils, much to his confusion.  
“I could destroy him, Charles, and everyone back at the mansion in less than a minute.”  
“You go anywhere near them, I’ll kill you. That threat, plus the attack in D.C, the global destruction you’ve caused, and your overall crappy plan are the reasons I’ll never fight alongside you.”  
Apocalypse stared at Pietro, hints of pride and accomplishment shining in his red eyes. He would get this speedster on his side...even if he had to use force. Smiling, he nodded at the silver-haired mutant before turning his attention to the sealed entrance.  
“I think we’ve got some company, my boy.”  
“I’m not your boy.”  
“I’ll see you soon, Pietro Maximoff.”

Before he could ask what he meant by that, three things happened at once: Apocalypse vanished, the entrance burst open, and Erik, still locked in his mind, screamed. Pietro's eyes quickly traveled a battle above him and he quickly found himself staring at Alex’s group fighting off four stone statues, two of them being the ones that were guarding this cave. He ran up towards the battlefield and knocked back the Sobek statue that was about to attack Alex. The blonde mutant saw the statue stumble backwards a couple of feet up the stairs and snapped his head to see his friend standing next to him

“Couldn’t have timed it any better, Pete.”  
“What can I say? I’m that good.”  
Alex rolled his eyes before sobering up. “Are you okay?”  
“Yeah, I’m fine. What are you guys doing here anyway?”  
“The professor told me that you were in serious trouble and that I should come and find you.”  
“Wait, you talked to the professor? We’ve been trying to reach him and-”  
“You couldn’t? Yeah, he told me that he was having trouble trying to connect with you two also. Must be Apocalypse.”  
Alex glanced behind him and froze at who he saw below kneeling right next to Erik. “No way,” he breathed.  
“No what?”  
“That’s Sebastian Shaw! Last I checked, he was suppose to be dead!”  
“Wait, you know that asshole?”  
“Yeah. He killed a great friend of mine, attacked a C.I.A facility some of my friends were in, and nearly set off a nuclear weapon in Cuba.”  
“Cuba? You were in Cuba?”  
“Yeah. Why?”  
“It’s just that Erik mentioned something about Cuba, Charles, and Raven. Apparently something serious went down there…”  
“You better believe it,” Alex muttered while continuing to stare at Shaw.  
“What happened back there?”  
“Pete, it’s-”  
A stone staff sliced between the talking mutants, nearly hitting them both. Pietro ran up to the Sobek statue, grabbed it, and shoved it down the seemingly endless amount of stairs. They both watched with amusement as the statue shattered into a dozens of pieces. Alex whistled for Cain.  
“Hey Cain!”  
When the young mutant saw what Alex was pointing at, a big smile appeared on his face. He ran down the flight of stairs, reached the damaged statue, and began to crush it underneath his weight. Pietro and Alex smirked at just how much fun Cain was having destroying an ancient artifact. Alex turned his attention back to Shaw, who was staring right at him.  
“Alex!” Shaw called from below, “what a pleasant surprise!”  
The blonde felt waves of rage and fury boil up in his chest and was about to shoot a beam of energy directly at the bastard. Suddenly, the memory of him shooting his energy beams back at the C.I.A facility, Shaw absorbing it with ease, and dropping it into Darwin’s mouth and killing him, flashed before him. There was no way history was going to repeat itself, not when little kids were here. A simple mistake like that could end up costing a life. Snapping out of his thoughts, Alex’s eyes found Erik, who was still yelling in pain.  
“What’s he doing to Erik?”  
“I don’t know. But once you guys are in the clear, I’m going to-”  
Scott, who was previously fighting off a Horus statue, followed his older brother’s gaze. When his eyes landed on a man seemingly torturing Erik, he turned on his visor and shot it at the man.  
“Scotty, no!!!” Alex screamed.  
Pietro watched Shaw absorb the highly deadly element as if it were nothing. As soon as the beam reached him, it shrunk down and created a small ball that fitted in the palm of his hand.   
“Holy shit,” Pietro breathed out.  
Shaw stared at the ball before looking back at Erik, who was still trapped in his nightmare. Smirking, he slowly raised the deadly weapon upwards and held it inches away from Erik’s face.

Pietro frantically tried to conjure up a plan that would not only end Erik’s prolonged suffering as well as awaken whoever that girl was, but also one that would get rid of Shaw once and for all. After a couple of moments, Pietro sighed and zipped down towards his father. He kneeled behind a corner of the black pyramid and listened to what his father was saying, or mutter.  
“You...are my...creator.”  
Something inside Pietro snapped and he felt rage completely overwhelm his senses. Without thinking, he grabbed the redhead's hand and placed it so that it would be touching the concentrated energy. He then grabbed Erik and ran off with him to the other side of the cave. Once he reached that other end, he gently propped him up so that he was still leaning against the cave wall. Once he was sure that Erik was safe, he glanced behind his shoulder and saw the probably possessed mutant go flying a couple of feet away from where she was kneeling. He looked at Shaw, who was staring at his hands in confusion before slowly facing Pietro. The silver-haired mutant stood in front of his father, who was beginning to come around.  
“Son, do you really want to do this? Do you really want to fight for a monster,” he continued while he nodded at Erik, “who abandoned you and destroyed your world? ” Pietro's confident look faltered, extending Shaw’s taunting. “The only reason he recruited you was because he needed your abilities; he didn’t care about you or your family’s well-being at all. He never has and he never will. And what do you think is going to happen if you somehow manage to overpower Apocalypse? If you believe that he’ll take you under his wing, you’re truly mistaken. Erik has a history of abandoning those he has no more use of. Just ask Charles.” Shaw stood up and moved closer towards Pietro, causing the mutant to stand more protectively in front of his father. “You'll have no one to turn to if this mission ends. You lost your mother, you’ll probably never see your sister again, and Erik here will turn his back on you the moment he gets what he desires. You’re more alone than you realize…”  
Pietro swallowed. “To be honest, I grew up without Erik for nearly twenty six years. I can handle him leaving again.”  
“Are you sure about that?” The younger mutant’s eyes searched the ground in order to avoid eye contact with the other mutant. “With us, you’ll always have someone by your side. Together, we’d be fighting for peace and our freedom. En Sabah Nur is giving us the opportunity to come from the shadows and create a better world for our kind!”  
“How's wiping out mutants and their families a better world? I swear, his plan is just as dumb as Erik’s decision to declare war between humans and mutants. There’s always going to be someone who will disagree with him, prolonging the cycle again. That cycle of destruction or whatever will never stop! So get this through your thick skull: I'm not joining your little club of unnecessary destruction.”   
“He’ll enhance your powers, son!”   
“I’m not your son you limp-dick asshole!”  
“You have an incredible gift, but you’ve only begun to scratch the surface. You can unlock your full potential with us! You’ll be able to grow and flourish in this cruel world.”  
“Thanks, but no thanks. Despite my usual impatient attitude, I’m not really in a rush to unlock my full potential or whatever the hell you called it. Even if I was, there’s no way in hell I’d want to be anywhere near you two.”  
Shaw smiled and turned his head to address the alive Thoth statue. “Thoth, if you please.”  
The clay statue suddenly shot out a beam of green energy from it’s eyes before turning back to the mutants. The energy beam was gently captured in Shaw’s grasp and he held it up dangerously close to Pietro’s heart. Pietro knew that if he ran in any direction, he would be hit easily. However, before he could decide his next move, he was flung back onto the ground a couple of feet away from Erik.   
“Seriously, you’ve got to stop doing that! It’s more annoying than painful.”  
Shaw strode over towards the fallen mutant, stepped on his legs, preventing him from moving, and grabbed a handful of Pietro’s silver hair. He leaned down and put his face literally inches away from Pietro’s own face.  
“You’re making a big mistake,” Shaw whispered seriously.  
Pietro swallowed before straightening his posture on the ground. “Wouldn’t be the first time, am I right?”  
“It will come back to haunt you. After all, Sabah always gets what he wants.”  
Shaw was about to press the palm that held the ball of green energy right against Pietro’s now fast-beating heart when a squishy sound coming from Shaw’s head halted his movements all together. Pietro felt the weight on his legs and pull of his hair instantly die down and he crawled backwards as far as he could away from Shaw and his energy ball. Before he could put together what he just happened, Shaw’s now slack body when flying across the cave, hitting the wall and slumping onto the ground. The green energy ball was removed from his hand and ended up fatally hitting the Thoth statue, causing it to crumble into dozens of pieces. Pietro snapped his head back towards Erik, who was coherent and had his hand extended outwards where Shaw’s body landed. Pietro took in how exhausted and shocked Erik looked, which was a rare look by itself. Pietro stood up and walked towards his father. He kneeled down in front of him and shot him a small smile.  
“That was far out! You managed to destroy the zombie statue and kill Shaw at the same time. Two stones and one bird...or is it the other way ar-”  
Pietro stopped when he noticed Erik trembling and his eyes staring at the dirt ground. The son placed a comforting hand on his father’s shoulder and squeezed it.  
“Hey,” he said quietly, “whatever that asshole made you see wasn’t real! You’re back here in Egypt in a tomb that’s currently being used as a battlefield...huh, maybe lala land doesn’t sound so bad.” Erik slowly met his son’s brown eyes. “I’m right here, dad. I’ve got you.”  
Erik sniffed and stood up with Pietro’s help. After a couple of seconds of standing in silence, Erik rubbed his red eyes and looked at his son with embarrassment.  
“I’m sorry you had to see me like that.”  
Pietro shrugged his shoulders. “Hey man, don’t be embarrassed. All you did was get your ass handed to you by an asshole zombie, whimper, cry out “mama,” and scream.” Realizing that Erik was turning red with embarrassment, Pietro smiled and wrapped an arm around his father’s shoulders. “I mean, your mind was getting violated...so I guess you get a free pass.”  
Erik raised his eyebrow. He composed himself and took in the scene above them. So far, two statues were lying in a crumpled heap. Alex and his group were fighting off the remaining two statues, as well as a now pissed off and possessed Jean Grey.  
“I've missed something, haven't I?”  
“Oh yeah. You missed a lot.”  
Erik nodded. “Right then.”

He gathered some metal that was lying underneath the ground, raised it into the air, and wrapped it around Jean, who was about to levitate Dallas, who was thankfully okay, right into the air. Once he was sure that the metal was wrapped securely around her, he pulled her downwards towards the pair. While doing so, he levitated his helmet from Shaw’s lifeless corpse and placed it back onto his own head.  
“It still looks weird,” Pietro muttered.  
Erik rolled his eyes and lowered her on the ground. She began to struggle violently before glaring at Erik. He smirked and tapped his helmet. He then kneeled down in front of the mutant and began to calmly talk to her.  
“Ms. Grey? My name is Erik Lehnsherr and we’re here to help you.” Jean made a move to knock off Erik’s helmet, but the older mutant simply leaned backwards. “We’re not here to hurt you.”  
“Release me this moment!” Jean yelled. “Release me or I’ll make yo-”  
“You’ve already damaged me. I don’t see how another hellish trip will affect-”  
“-your son.” Jean finished, catching Erik and Pietro’s attention. “Release me or I’ll make your son suffer more than you could ever imagine.”  
Erik glared at the possessed mutant, silently threatening her to shut up before she regrets it. He knew that she didn’t have any control over her actions, but it still didn’t stop him from feeling protective over his son. He glanced at Pietro, who had his famous smirk plastered on his face. Erik eyed him suspiciously.  
“Trust me,” Pietro whispered to Erik. “Grey, I’m curious how you got yourself in this position. I mean, you’re a telepath, so there’s no way you agreed to Apocalypse’s plans. Well, you could’ve if you’re a sadistic bitch...you’re not a sadistic bitch are you?” Jean’s eyes were now trained on Pietro. “You don’t look like someone who would hurt anyone on purpose.”  
“You don’t know anything about me!!!”  
“You’re right, I don’t. But I have a feeling as to why you’re in this position. Apocalypse can’t possess anyone just like that. He needs permission to enter a consciousness and in order to gain said permission, he has to either convince or deceive who he wants. So what'd he do to get you on his side? Did he lie to you? Tell you that you're special and what not? Did he trick you? He tricked you, didn’t he? He did! Now, what exactly did he tell you?” Knowing that she wouldn't respond, Pietro took in a deep breath before continuing. “He and Shaw tried to convince me that Erik -- my dad, by the way-- would abandon me again as soon as we rescued a friend of his.” While Jean’s brow began to crease, Erik turned his attention at Pietro, interested in what his son was talking about. “Yeah, they told me that I was going to be alone as soon as we got Erik’s friend, Raven, back. Also, they told me something about how strong I am and how I could become stronger but that doesn’t really matter.” He leaned closer to her. “I lost Erik because of Shaw, I lost my mother because of Apocalypse, and I probably lost Lorna because I let myself get caught. I’ve lost a lot of people I care about and, honestly, I'm kind of afraid to lose anyone else. Those two assholes tried to convince me that joining them would give me a sense of power and dependence. They tried to make me feel loved. So what did they promise you? Did they promise you power enhancement? A sense of belonging? The resurrection of a dead loved one?” Jean froze at the last statement, indicating that Pietro had her. “They promised the last one! Let me guess, someone you loved died and they vowed to revive said person.”  
“Shut up!”  
“You need to understand that he’s not going to do anything he promised! He’s been killing thousands of innocent people, both mutant and human! He’s been killing almost everyone in sight! Do you really think he’s going to resurrect someone you cared about?” Jean’s breathing began to hitch. “Listen to me, you’re only going to hurt people if you let Apocalypse control you! I know you want that person back, but he’s not the right way to do so. Fight this!”  
The possessed Jean shut her eyes as the memories of the car crash that claimed her older sister’s life, her mother’s legs, and her father’s love appeared into her consciousness. The overwhelming pain of that loss and Apocalypse’s promise that followed years later sparked something inside her -- grief and rage. Before she knew it, her consciousness slowly overpowered the intruder inside her brain. After a couple of seconds, she almost had complete control over her mind but still felt traces of thick fog lingering inside her.  
“I’m sorry about your loss. You may be feeling angry, hurt, betrayed, or whatever, but know that everyone here who’s fighting off inanimate statues have got your back.” The red-haired mutant looked at him...sadly. “You won’t be able to grieve with Apocalypse. You’re just going to be his puppet until he has no more use of you.” Pietro was beginning to make stuff up, but it didn’t matter as long as he got through to her. “We’re going to be right by your side. I promise.”  
Feelings of sadness, hope, fury, and grief cut off the remaining hold Apocalypse had on her. However, the emotions and memories attacked her relentlessly, causing her awakening to be not so calm. Closing her eyes, she let out a scream of anguish, anger, and victory from her lips. The scream forced Pietro, Erik, and the other mutants to clamp their ears shut. It echoed throughout the cave and began to shatter the remaining statues that also were possessed by Apocalypse. After a couple of seconds, her scream died down and her eyes turned back to it’s normal dark green color. She looked around frantically at her surroundings and eventually saw the silver-haired mutant, and the older mutant named...Erik(!), slowly meet her gaze.

“Oh god,” the silver-haired mutant said to Erik, “please don’t tell me I broke her.”  
“You didn’t,” Jean said, “but if you don’t mind, I’d like to be released from this metal trap.”  
“My apologies,” Erik said before gently unwrapping the metal from around her.  
As soon as she was free, she stretched her muscles without taking her eyes off the pair. She slowly stood up, the other mutants following her moments after. Once they all were settled, Jean smiled.  
“I-I can’t even begin to thank you.”  
“You don’t need to thank us.”  
“Still, it feels nice to have complete control over my body. So thanks…”  
“Pietro,” he said as he extended his hand towards her. “I don’t think Grey is your first name, although that would be a pretty interesting name. You know, I’ve never encountered anyone who had a color as a first name. I mean, sure there are people who have lasts names like brown, red, and-”  
“Pietro,” Erik said impatiently.  
“Right. So...what’s your name again?”  
“Jean Grey,” she replied warmly while shaking his hand. She then turned to Erik and said, “I’m so sorry that I went into your mind and tortured you. I feel so awful and-”  
“Water under the bridge.”  
“Really?” both Pietro and Jean asked.  
“Well, it will take some time to recover from that experience, but I already forgave you years ago.”  
Jean still didn’t look convinced but pushed the issue aside anyway. She glanced behind her and saw a group of mutant staring down at her with curiosity, fear, and happiness. For a couple of seconds, no one made a move, but Scott finally spoke up.  
“Umm, I’m glad you’re okay... Jean?”  
“That’s correct.”  
“Great! But, l-like I said, I-I’m glad you’re okay a-and-”  
“Scotty,” Alex said from behind him.  
“Yeah?”  
“Stop.”  
Scott nodded but continued to stare at Jean, who was smiling back at him. While those two were having their stare off, Erik looked at his son.  
“Did they really tell you all of that stuff? That’d I’d abandon you once we rescued Raven?”  
Pietro shrugged his shoulders. “It’s no big deal. What’s done is done, am I right? Look, we’ll talk about this when we head back outside, but right now we need to get all of these guys out of here.”  
“Did you believe him?”  
“Erik-”  
Before their conversation could continue, a clicking sound from above caught everyone’s attention. Looking up, they saw six yellow dots appear above the group, circling them.   
“We need to move,” Alex said.

Everyone nodded and made their way up the long staircase, with Pietro and Erik behind the group. The two of them froze in surprise when they saw a purple-haired girl with pink katanas and dagger running with the crowd. From the corner of her eye, Ororo saw the pairs’ confused look and nodded at them.  
“While you two were talking to Jean, we counseled another mutant we found that was originally attacking us. Her name is Elizabeth Braddock. We’ll probably ask her more questions later when we go back to the mansion.”  
The pair nodded and proceeded to move closer to the exit. However, they were both cut off from the group by a giant arachnid that plopped down from the ceiling. It’s jackknife chelicerates were already pointing at the pair and it stood in an attack position.  
“Oh my god,” they said.  
The spider let out an unholy scream that made Pietro and Erik flinch. Alex and the others were already at the top, watching the scene below them. Dallas tried to reach his two partners, but the grip Alex had on his arm preventing him from doing so.  
“Guys!”  
The older mutants snapped their heads at the source of the sounds that wasn’t from the spider. Making up his mind, Erik grabbed his son by his shoulder, took off his helmet, and placed it into his son’s hands.  
“Erik, what are you-”  
“Run. I’ll meet you all back out there!”  
“No way! I can just carry you out of here like I usually do. Hell, we can probably take that out in less than-”  
The spider’s fang suddenly snapped wildly at the pair, forcing them to back away. Erik grabbed metal from the pyramid and sent it flying at the beast. When the metal impaled the large creature, it let out a loud screeching noise. Using this distraction, Erik shook his son for his attention.  
“Trust me, Pietro.”  
The other mutant looked at his father, unsure of what to do. His main instinct instantly told him to stay with Erik and help him fight this monster. That said, he also knew that they’d spent too much time here and needed to get their new recruits, as well as previous friends, out of Egypt. Charles and his crew were probably getting worried and impatient. Also, despite his own speed, carrying Erik’s weight slowed him down and one of them would most likely get bit by the what he assumed was venomous thing. Finally, this was the first time Erik was asking Pietro to trust him. Erik pushed his own instincts and integrity aside for him, so now he had to return the favor. Pietro looked down at the helmet in his hands.  
“Why are you giving me this?”  
“We don’t know if Apocalypse actually has left the premises. I need you to give this to Charles, tell him put it on, and keep it on until I come out, okay?”  
“But why?”  
“Because I don’t want him to become exposed to any form of telepathic attacks! Please, just do as I ask.”  
Pietro nodded. “Fine. Just be careful, will you?”  
“I will. Now go!”  
The others and Pietro zoomed out of the main layer, leaving Erik all alone with the enchanted arachnid

 **(July 9, 1983. 11:45 AM)**  
“Bloody christ,” Charles muttered, “where could they be?”  
It has been over two hours since Doreen came running back to the jet with the alarming news. He informed Alex of the situation and hadn’t heard from him since. While he spent the majority of the wait talking to the other mutants, who were also beginning to worry, his mind kept going to dark places. Places that involved one or more of his students possessed like Raven, or Pietro and Erik’s deaths. He felt like he was about to go crazy when he felt the presence of multiple people running towards the jet.  
“Hank,” he called out, “something’s coming!”  
The genius ran outside and saw a group of things running towards the jet at full speed. Layla, Ink, and Kurt positioned themselves in a defensive stance in front of the jet, ready to attack the possible intruders. However, as the group got closer, their physical traits became more clearer. Hank squinted his eyes and saw Alex, Cain, Scott, Ororo, and the rest of his group running towards the jet.  
“It’s them, Professor!”  
Charles wheeled himself closer to the end of the jet and jumped from his seat when he was greeted by Pietro kneeling inches in front of him. Catching his breath, he smiled at the mutant. His smile then turned into a frown when he saw what was in his hands.  
“Pietro,” he asked worriedly, “where’s Erik?”  
The younger mutant took a huge breath before quickly passing on Erik’s message. “We were about to leave but then we got attacked by a giant spider creature. He told me to give this to you because we’re not sure where Apocalypse went off to and he doesn’t want you to get mind-fucked or whatever!” Before Charles could process what he said, he felt the familiar weight of Erik’s helmet being forcefully pushed onto his head. “I need to find him, Professor!”  
“Where is he now?”  
“He’s still fighting the spider. He told me to take the kids and lead them out of the pyramids, which we’re doing right now although everyone behind me are slow as snails.”  
“Remind me again, why did he want me to put on his helmet?”  
“Because Apocalypse vanished and we’re not sure where he is. And because we suspect that he has telepathic powers, Erik just wants you to be protected while he battles the spider.”  
“How selfless of him,” Charles stated in disbelief.  
“Professor, I need to go back to him and help him.”  
Charles looked at him worriedly before nodding his head. “Fine. Please be careful!!”  
“I always am.”  
With that, he was off back into the landmark. Charles sighed and took off the helmet. To his surprise, an intense pain began to throb in his head, forcing him to put the helmet back on.  
“Bloody sod wasn’t lying,” he said to himself.  
Once the pain died away, he saw Hank and the others staring at him. While some of them were just eager to sit down in their seats, others stared at him in confusion. Charles took note of the two newcomers who looked extremely shy. He put on his famous warm smile and wheeled himself towards the red-haired mutant.  
“Good day, my name is Charles Xavier.”  
“Jean Grey,” the red-head replied.  
“Are you alright?”  
“I-I will be…” After a beat, she asked Charles, “So what’s your ability?”  
“I’m a telepath.”  
“Really? Me too!”  
Charles raised his eyebrow in surprise. “Well, isn’t this a unexpected treat!”  
“Yes, but I’m not so good at controlling my powers. When I possessed, I had absolutely no trouble controlling and using my powers. But now- now I just feel useless and dangerous.”  
He placed a comforting hand on her arm. “You’re neither of those things. You’re just afraid. When we get back to my place, I’ll teach you how to control your gifts and use them properly without hurting yourself or others.”

When she smiled, Charles removed the helmet from his head. He realized that the pain he was feeling was coming from her, and that it was just her not knowing how to suppress her own powers and emotions properly. He was about to push her transmitted thoughts aside when an enormous pain suddenly appeared across his back, causing him to yelp out in pain.  
“Professor?” Hank and Alex called out when their saw their mentor bend over in pain.  
Charles gritted his teeth and began to mentally deduct and track who was emitting so much pain. Grateful that it wasn’t any presently in the jet, his mind went past the group and into the pyramids. He felt Pietro’s mind and instantly knew that the pain was coming from him.  
‘ _Pietro,_ ’ he called, ‘ _are you ok-_ ’  
The intense pain suddenly appeared right in his stomach, causing him to place his hand over the area. He must’ve screamed really loudly because when he looked up, everyone was eying him with concern and worry. Hank and Alex were kneeling right in front of him, a hand placed on each of his shoulders. Charles smiled at the gesture and went back to connecting with Pietro. The pain from his stomach slowly traveled upwards towards his chest, eliciting an agonizing scream of pain. He felt like he was being stabbed...oh no.  
“Professor!”  
Just as quickly as the pain began, it stopped. Charles blinked the tears away from his eyes and saw that Hank had placed Erik’s helmet on him, blocking off any kind of connections.  
“Are you okay, Professor? What happened?”  
Charles regained control of his breathing before he looked up at his former students.

“It’s Pietro,” he breathed out, his hand unconsciously placed over the phantom pain on his stomach. “He’s hurt…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will probably go back and edit this chapter :/ A couple of things I'd like to address before I add another chapter:
> 
> 1.) Psylocke and the others will have a HUGE role later on! I feel like some people would complain about her not being used at all during this confrontation. Also, I know that Ink, Layla, and Kurt also weren't featured a lot during this battle...I promise that they will get a chance to show off their powers and use them to fight :D
> 
> 2.) I'll be diving much deeper into Jean's past and try to form the relationship between her and Scott that has become a trademark in the franchise. But their relationship will slowly grow ;)
> 
> 3.) Sorry if the chapter is a bit rushed :/ There's a lot of action and I didn't want to spend too much time writing every little detail about what was going on.
> 
> 4.) Erik giving Charles his helmet may sound very unlike him (but then again, this entire story may not match his personality), but I figured that his nightmare would influence him to take extra precautions to keep Charles, his best friend, safe. *shrugs shoulders*
> 
> Questions/Comments/Concerns/Insults/Thoughts of love??? Feel free to write them down in the comments :)
> 
> Take Care and Party Hard :0)
> 
> P.S: If anyone has any hurt!Erik/Peter fics, feel free to tell share them :) FYI: I'm NOT going steal anyone's ideas! I already have the whole story planned out ;) I just love h/c because we get to see a side of characters that we never see on film/tv :)


	21. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all :0)
> 
> Sorry about the lack of updates :/ But here's another chapter! This one was actually very hard to write, which also delayed the updates. Also, sorry about the crappy writing :/
> 
> Warning: Grammatical/Spelling errors and possibly slight OOC-ness!!
> 
> I hope you enjoy!!

**(July 9, 1983. 12:00 PM)**  
Pietro sped down the dim stone corridors to find Erik. As he ran, he forced himself to suppress any thoughts that related to Erik being hurt or worse. And although the idea wasn’t far-fetched at all, the speedster still remained optimistic. A couple of seconds later, he arrived at the entrance of the cave where their confrontation with Shaw, Apocalypse, and his puppets took place. To his shock, the entire black pyramid now laid in a messy heap alongside fallen stalagmites. The dirt ground that he had been tossed on multiple times was now buried underneath black rubble. The enormous spider laid on top of some rubble, unmoving and facing Pietro. Scanning the destruction, he looked for his father, who has yet to be seen.  
“Erik?” Nothing. “Erik? Can you hear me? If you’re dead, say something!”  
He went through all of his options: he could either run down there and search through layers and layers of rubble to try to find Erik, or he could move on and search the rest of the pyramid. Suddenly, a sound echoed behind him, catching his attention. He turned around and began to walk towards the source of the sound.  
“Erik?” he called out. “Is that you?”  
A couple of minutes later, he turned a corner and saw Erik slumped against one of the hieroglyphic-covered walls. He ran up to him, kneeled down, and shook his shoulders.  
“Hey! Hey! Erik, you okay?”   
After a couple of tense seconds, Erik’s exhausted and pain-filled eyes met his and he said through gritted, “I got it.”  
Pietro smiled. “I knew you would. Come on,” he grunted as he pulled Erik onto his feet, “let’s get out of here.”  
The younger mutant threw Erik’s arm around his neck and began to slowly guide him out of the cave. However, to his surprise, Erik suddenly stopped walking only after a few steps. Pietro, who was still trying to escort Erik out, began to lightly tug his father in order to keep moving him forward.  
“What’s going on, man? You feeling gassy? Ill? Why’d you stop moving?” Erik stood up to his full height. “Erik?”  
The grip the metal-bender had on Pietro’s shirt tightened, preventing the speedster from running. Pietro stared at his father, confused as to what he was doing. Suddenly, a white-hot sensation shot from the back of his right shoulder and traveled all across his back until it stopped at his left hip, sending him onto his knees in pain. His senses briefly blurred out and he couldn’t find himself to scream or yell. Then, three metal-looking claws shot from his stomach, much to his confusion. It was only then when he processed the amount of pain his entire backside was in and how much blood was beginning to trickle down him and drip onto the ground. He let out a scream of pain as he was lifted from the ground not by hands, but from the claws sticking out of him. He felt his skin, flesh, and muscle being sliced and torn as if they were made of clay. Whenever he tried to move, a strong pair of hands held him in place, prolonging the pain he was already in. Once he was standing on his shaky legs, he looked behind him and was greeted by Logan’s cold and illuminating yellow eyes. The second he looked into Logan’s not-real eyes, two things clicked in his mind: Logan was possessed and had just stabbed him with his apparently adamantium claws.  
“It’s unfortunate that it’s come down to this, Pietro Maximoff,” a voice said from the dark. “But sometimes our last resorts end up being the most efficient.”  
Pietro slowly looked back forwards and saw Apocalypse striding over towards him. He then frantically turned to Erik, who had yet to move from where he was standing.  
“Erik,” he whispered through his gritted teeth, “now would be a good time for you to be-”  
He snapped his mouth shut when he witnessed Erik’s entire body suddenly look scaly. Then, royal blue began to slowly creep up his body. His legs became more feminine, body more thinner, and skin more...bluer and rougher. After a couple of seconds, Pietro was staring at a naked, blue-skinned women with fiery red hair, impressive muscles, and fierce yellow eyes that perfectly matched Logan’s.  
“Fuck.”   
His fears were confirmed when Apocalypse addressed the mutant walking away from Pietro. “Thank you, Mystique. Your contributions will not go unrewarded.” He then turned to Pietro. “Now, let’s continue our conversation.”

Charles continued to rub his forehead in order to ease the pain and calm his nerves. Because he had Erik’s helmet on, he couldn’t communicate with him and inform him of his son’s current state. That all said, if he took off the helmet, he would instantly become vulnerable to telepathic attacks and intense pain. He juggled with this dilemma silently until Hank grabbed his attention.  
“It’s Erik!”  
Charles snapped his head forward and began to wheel himself down the platform to meet Erik. He had to squint his eyes to get a better look at Erik, who was slowly making his way towards the jet.  
“Kurt,” Charles said without removing his eyes from Erik, “could you-”  
“Already on it, sir.”  
Two seconds later, Kurt appeared with an exhausted and injured Erik by his side. The side of Erik’s head was caked with dry blood, while other parts of his face had minor cuts. His pupils were dilated, indicating that he had a concussion. His left arm was wrapped tightly around his ribs and he winced whenever he took too deep of a breath. In the center of his left hand were two medium red dots that seemed to elicit a tiny bit of blood. Charles met Erik’s tired gaze.  
“Are you alright?”  
Erik nodded while looking at the occupants sitting in the jet. “I’ll live. Right now we need to-” His calm voice was instantly replaced by one filled with fear. “Where’s Pietro?”  
“He went back to go look for you! Did you miss him while you were running back here?”  
“There was another exit at the bottom of the cave that led me to the other side of the pyramid. He must’ve gone back the way we entered. Damn it!”  
“Erik...I think he’s hurt.”  
Waves and waves of anxiety hit Erik. “What?! How can you tell?”  
“I tried to communicate with him telepathically. When I reached his mind, I only felt pain.”  
Erik frantically looked behind him where the pyramids sat. His breathing hitched yet his posture straightened. The hand pressed against his ribs fell against his side and the exhaustion in his eyes vanished in a flash.  
“Stay here. And keep the helmet on!”  
“Are you insane, Erik? You can barely stand on your own and-”  
“He’s my son!” Erik shouted fearfully. He then addressed Hank. “Make sure he keeps my helmet on! Apocalypse may still be in there and I cannot take any chances.”  
Before Hank or Charles could protest, Erik was out of the jet and running back towards the pyramids. None of the mutants noticed Dallas’s shadow slip from the crowd to follow Erik.

Apocalypse stood in front of Pietro, who was struggling to suppress the pain that threatened to pull him under. The taller mutant knelt down, placed his palm in the growing pool of blood under Pietro’s feet, and examined the sticky substance.  
“You know,” Pietro said through clenched teeth, “stabbing your needed prodigy isn’t going to earn you any brownie points.”  
“It’s unfortunate that it had to come to this,” Apocalypse replied, “but you left me no choice. Look at yourself and what you’re fighting for. You’re fighting for a deceased mother-”  
“Shut up!”  
“You’re fighting for an inferior and inessential species, and you’re fighting for two mutants: one who abandoned you and another who only values your skills for personal gain. They won't think of your death as anything significant or tragic. Like Shaw had said before your father abruptly claimed his life, you will gain so much more than you could ever dream of…” Logan shifted his claws, forcing Pietro onto his knees. Apocalypse knelt down and said, “You may not know this, but your desires are easy to identify. And your need to fulfill them are stronger than you think. I know how much you love Lorna...she gave you purpose, happiness, and a sense of duty that you never felt before. I could track her down and ensure her safety, revive your mother, and-”  
“No,” Pietro mumbled automatically. “You’re right...I loved them… a lot. I would die for them… but what’s the point of bringing them back if they’re going to be living in a world dominated by mutants who are living under your rule.”  
“I have no intention of becoming a dictator or-”  
“If you wanted a democracy, you wouldn’t have killed all of those mutants. You just want to live in a world where you have the final say. You kill the rebels, enslave the vulnerable, and praise the conformists.” Pietro’s speech was becoming more uneven and slurred. “M'not...fightin' for...humans or… for… Erik and… Charles. M'fightin'… for… our… kind.”  
The claws retracted from his stomach, making Pietro double over in pain. However, Logan’s hand forcefully lifted him up from the collar of his jacket, turned him around, and placed the tip of his claws on Pietro’s right shoulder. Pietro could felt small trickles of blood make their way down his shoulder. Apocalypse stood up and glared at Pietro, his eyes burning a hole right in his soul.  
“Shaw said something else that is true: I always get what I want. So, I’m giving you one last chance...join me or perish.”  
Pietro weakly smirked. “Bite me.”  
“Are you sure you’re willing to die for a hopeless race, egotistical father, and deceased mother? Are you sure you want to die for nothing.”  
“Always…”  
Apocalypse sighed and nodded at Logan. “Do it.”

Logan’s claw mercilessly slashed his front side, tearing skin and flesh from his right shoulder to his spleen. Pietro was thrown onto the ground. Suddenly, a cry of rage echoed from the end of the hallway. Pietro weakly turned his head to his left and saw an injured Erik staring at the scene in horror.   
“What’s done is done,” Apocalypse said in a mocking tone. “I will see you very soon, Erik Lehnsherr. For now, we’ll let your mourn on your own.”.   
Blocks of metal from the cave shot towards the group, carefully avoiding Pietro and Raven. However, before they came even close to the group, everyone --Apocalypse, Raven, and Logan-- disappeared. The metal ended up hitting an old wall. Erik stared at the now empty space for a couple of seconds before snapping his eyes at his bleeding and barely conscious son. Once he reached his son, he dropped down onto his knees and raised his hand to the wound. He was shocked at the amount of slashes and cuts that covered Pietro’s body. He didn’t know which wound to place his hands on.  
“T-Took you l-long enough,” Pietro mumbled.  
Erik glared at his son. “What were you thinking?!” He shouted, the worry in his voice overpowering the anger. “I told you to wait for me!”  
“B-bit…”  
“What?”  
Pietro’s eyes were staring at Erik’s raised left hand. "Y-You g-got bit…”  
Erik sighed and ran his hand through the silver locks. “Don’t worry about me. Right now, my only concern is you. I’m going to lift you into a standing position. I need you to try and walk. Just lean on me and let me do most of the work, okay?”  
Pietro weakly nodded his head. Erik bent down, threw his son’s left arm around his neck, and slowly stood up. The younger mutant yelped in pain at the sudden movements. Once Pietro was standing, Erik wrapped his right arm around Pietro’s waist, wincing at the amount of blood that automatically coated his arm, and placed his hand firmly against the puncture wounds on his stomach.  
“Come on,” he whispered. “We need to move quickly. You ready?”  
Pietro nodded and let Erik guide him out of the tomb.

Their journey was long, tense, and literally painful. Both mutants were supporting their own wounds, some more serious than others, which only prolonged their journey. At first, Pietro managed to keep up with his dad’s pace with little trouble. They had begun a conversation about _Star Wars: Return of the Jedi_ in order to keep Pietro conscious. Usually, Erik didn’t really care for chats about films, music, or any other forms of entertainment. This was the only exception because it was keeping his son awake. Eventually, however, Pietro’s words and movements became increasingly sloppy. He had trouble keeping his balance and soon completely forgot what he was talking about. Right when Erik noticed this change, he increased his speed. From time to time, he looked over his shoulder and cringed at trail of blood Pietro was leaving behind. He didn’t know how long they had been moving when he found himself carrying all of Pietro’s weight. He looked to his side and saw Pietro’s head lolling on his chest, his eyes closed, and his legs dragging behind him. He immediately placed Pietro onto the ground and positioned his body so that it was propped up against the wall. Placing one hand against the stomach wounds, he lifted his other, now blood-stained hand and cupped Pietro’s neck.  
“Pietro,” he whispered, “can you hear me?” Nothing. “Pietro?!”  
After what seemed like a lifetime, Pietro’s eyes slowly opened and sluggishly found Erik’s. “Legs,” he mumbled.  
“What?”  
“Cn’t feel 'em.”  
Erik swallowed what would’ve been a sob. He ran a shaky hand through his own short hair, leaving smudges of fresh blood. He then cupped his son’s neck with both of his hands in order to not only stop his son’s head from lolling lazily on his chest, but also to get his attention.  
“It’s okay. You just need to stay with me, okay? I’ll get you out of here. I’m not going to leave you.”  
Pietro weakly smiled. “Promise?”  
“With all my heart. Now you’ve got to do the same thing for me. Promise me that you won’t leave…”  
“I’ll try.”  
“Unacceptable! You will not leave me, okay?”  
Before Pietro could reply, the sound of footsteps caught Erik’s attention. Without removing his hands, he turned to his side and found himself staring at Dallas. The youngest mutant looked absolutely horrified at the bloody scene around him. Seeing Pietro, who he considered an older brother, slumped against the wall soaked in fresh blood scared him. He was snapped out of his shock when he heard Erik’s commanding voice.  
“Get help!” Dallas didn’t move. “Dallas! You need to get help now!! Go!!”  
Shaking his head, Dallas snapped out of his stupor before darting out of the hallway. Erik turned his attention back to his son.  
“Hang in there. Give Hank a couple of minutes and he’ll have you walking back on your feet in no time.”  
Pietro opened his mouth to say something but was instantly shut up by a huge coughing fit. Erik gently shushed his son, who was coughing up chunks of blood; After a couple of seconds, Pietro’s fit subsided, leaving him breathless and in pain. He gritted his teeth and slowly met Erik’s eyes.  
“M’ okay.”  
Erik rolled his eyes at the sarcastic comment. Suddenly, a puff of blue smoke appeared beside Erik. He looked to his left side and saw Kurt staring down at him and Pietro in shock.  
“...Sir?”  
“Get us back to the jet!"  
In less than three seconds, the trio vanished in a puff of blue smoke.

The occupants in the parked jet were greeted by three figures plopping right in the center of the jet. Gasps, screams, and curses were shouted at the unexpected appearance. Their expressions and words of shock were quickly replaced with absolute silence, save for Hank, Alex, and Charles. The youngest mutants froze at the sight of a Erik cradling his barely awake and blood-soaked son in his arms, while the older mutants immediately jumped into assisting Erik. A lot of the kids wanted to inspect the damage even further, much to Hank’s dismay. Scott suddenly jumped up from where he was sitting and prevented the crowd from moving any closer.  
“Everyone get back! Give them some space. Step back.”  
Hank smiled in appreciation before turning on the autopilot that would bring them back to the mansion without his assistance. He increased the jet’s speed before directing his attention his injured friend.  
The jet’s engines roared to life and soon the Blackbird took off at lightning speed.

With Erik situated beside Pietro’s head to provide the injured mutant some comfort, Alex and Hank quickly slid beside Pietro’s sides and began to tend to the repulsive and duplicated wounds that covered the mutant’s body. Charles tossed Erik’s helmet aside and telepathically sent words of reassurance and encouragement.  
‘ _Shhh, my friend. You’re safe with us._ ’  
Pietro let out a yelp of pain and bucked against the hands that were holding him down. Hank, Alex, and Erik tightened their hold in order to prevent Pietro from hurting himself even further.   
“Easy Pete,” Alex said, his voice wavering at the sight of his friend in so much pain. “We’re right here, man.”   
Charles met Erik’s eyes and felt his own heart begin to break.  
‘ _Help,_ ’ Erik silently whispered.  
Charles nodded his head and turned his attention back on Pietro, who was groaning in pain and had tears begin to make their way down his cheek.  
‘ _Pietro, I need you to calm down._ ’ Pietro weakly turned his head so that it was facing Charles. ‘ _I know it’s hard at the moment, but I need you to calm your mind and find memories that will put you into a state of serenity. Think about the memories you’ve created with us back the mansion. Think about the moments you’ve shared with Erik. Remember Lorna. Remember all of the beautiful moments you’ve experienced with your baby sister. Have you found them?_ ’ Pietro nodded. ‘ _Good. Now focus on them. Let yourself drown in them._ ’  
For fifteen minutes, Charles aided Pietro’s fading consciousness while Hank tried to repair some of the damage. His right lung and spleen were badly torn, as well as his intestines and back. One thick slit on his chest was located a centimeter away from Pietro’s heart, just barely missing it. The damage inflicted on his intestines was inoperable, while any move to repair the other wounds would only harm Pietro even more. The massive blood loss was the real problem. Second by second, Pietro was losing buckets of blood, affecting his already fragile heart. Pietro being transported to the jet only agitated his wounds even further and increased the blood loss. The nearest hospital that would have the equipment that would possibly save Pietro’s life was destroyed by Apocalypse two weeks ago. Hank looked up at Charles and shook his head.  
‘ _It’s bad_ ,’ Hank projected. ‘ _The ribs protecting his lungs and heart are completely broken. There’s extensive damage on his right lung, spleen, and intestines that ultimately can’t be repaired without hurting him anymore. He’s lost too much blood and…Professor… I-I don't..._ ”  
Charles was taken aback by the vulnerable state Hank was in. Hank was usually the composed, placid mutant of the group who always had an answer. This was the first time Hank outwardly showed uncertainty and defeat. He could tell that Hank was struggling to find a solution amidst his unlimited intelligence. Erik, on the other hand, was sitting on the steel floor with his son’s head placed on his lap. In a soothing manner, his calloused hands rhythmically stroked Pietro’s silver (and now red) hair before tracing the pale face. Erik looked away from his son’s face and closed his eyes, letting loose a couple of tears...he already knew what was going to happen next. Erik sniffed and hastily wiped the tears away. He looked at Charles, who was on the verge of crying. After staring at each other for a couple of seconds, silently exchanging words of grief, Erik bent his upper body down so that he could whisper something only meant for Pietro.  
“Pietro Maximoff, mien sohn, I am so proud of you…” Erik swallowed a sob. “Close your eyes.”   
Pietro weakly shook his head. “No. Dn't wanna go. Dn’t w'nt you t' leave me... Dad.”  
“Listen to me, whatever those bastards told you back there is not true and never will be. No matter what happens next to both of us, I will never leave you. Even while you sleep, I’ll still be by your side when you need me to. Understand?” Pietro nodded. “I will always love you… now close your eyes.”  
Pietro’s eyes slide shut. Erik swallowed another sob and looked up at Charles tearfully. Charles, who began to shed silent tears, nodded and turned his attention back to Pietro, who was barely breathing.  
‘ _Pietro, with your remaining strength, find your happiest memory. Find it and embrace it. Let it dull the pain, consume your senses, and guide you towards a better place where pain, fear, and hatred are non-existent._ ’ Charles felt Pietro find that memory and grasp onto it. ‘ _There you go. Now, follow it._ ’ To his surprise, Pietro let Charles look at the memory. Overwhelmed by the memory itself, as well as Pietro and Erik's current state, Charles closed his eyes and felt more tears making their way down his cheek. Sniffing, Charles addressed Pietro’s almost completely faded consciousness one last time. ‘ _Everyone here, myself included, could not be more proud of you. We all love you. Erik loves you._ ’  
After a couple of beats, Charles couldn’t reach Pietro’s mind at all. Sighing, he looked up at Erik, who was gently stroking his son’s hair. When their eyes met, they both knew that Pietro Django Maximoff was now gone. Erik tried to suppress a river of tears, but he was failing.  
‘ _Erik..._   _I-I’m so-_ ’  
‘ _Don’t,_ ’ Erik sadly shot back. ' _Please don’t._ ’  
To Erik’s surprise, Charles unbuckled his seatbelt and slowly placed himself onto his wheelchair, which was parked right next to the seat.  
“Professor?” Hank asked.  
Charles ignored Hank and began to wheel himself towards Erik. Charles was surprised by how smooth his movements were, considering that they were in a moving jet. He looked to his left and saw Jean’s palms extended at him while her eyes were trained at the chair. She nodded at him before turning her attention back to the chair. Charles nodded Jean a thanks before making his way towards Erik. Once he reached his grieving friend, he began to rub his friend’s back in a gentle and soothing manner. Erik’s already undignified composure only seemed to crumble even further. A moan of despair left his lips.  
‘ _It's okay, my friend. Just let it all out… Nobody will think less of you._ ’  
Erik squeezed his eyes shut and let out a cry of despair. It was a small cry, nothing too loud or dramatic. Yet, the amount of pain and grief laced within that cry instantly shattered everyone’s heart. Nobody, not even Charles, could even begin to comprehend the impact this death had on him. He had lost everyone he’s ever loved -- his mother, father, sister, wife, and daughter-- all because of who he was… Bonding with his son was a massive risk, for the fear of death -- and therefore, emotional despair -- constantly hung in the air. Hell, those fears made him extremely reluctant to even be near his son. But then, as the months went by, he let his guard down and let trust, hope, and love take over. Connecting over their stories, powers, and mindsets didn’t seem like a chore, or a red flag, anymore. He thought things would be different. But he let his guard down, and the original expectations of death and failure reappeared, and hit him twice as hard. The hope that his son would finally be able to live a full and happy life was gone. Erik hated himself for being responsible for his son’s death, hated Apocalypse for giving mutant’s a much darker name, and hated anyone who believed in Apocalypse’s cause. He found himself unintentionally burying his head in Charles’ leg, and was grateful when Charles didn’t push him away.

Charles, who was currently comforting the distressed and heartbroken mutant, looked up at the passengers in the jet. While his main concern was towards Erik, he couldn’t help but fear what would happen to the students following Pietro’s death. He wasn't lying when he told Pietro that everyone loved him. After all, Pietro was a prominent source of energy, humor, optimism, and acceptance. He cared for the youngest mutants as if they were Lorna, respected the older mutants (to some degree), and believed in himself and the rest. Charles saw a lot of himself in Pietro, and enjoyed their both silly and serious conversations. The impact Pietro had on the occupants of the mansion was felt by everyone, making his it all the more agonizing and prominent. The telepath's fears rested on the possibility that this death of Pietro --the culmination of all of this devastation these last few months -- would cause these young mutants to lose their innocence and hope that he had worked so hard to ensure. He was afraid that they would follow in Erik's footsteps, and let this tragic loss put them on a path of destruction and vengeance. But right now, he couldn’t deal with that.

Right now, he wanted to be there for his best friend, a broken man who just lost everything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd like to take this opportunity to say, "Thanks!" All of the support, criticism, love, and comments really mean a lot to me :D Thanks for staying with this crappy story and for giving it a chance :0) You all are the best <3
> 
> The next couple of chapters will be dialogue heavy! I just want to dig deeper into Jean's story, as well as Erik's mental state. Plus, there will be a couple of Erik and Charles moments, for those of you who like those moments.
> 
> Questions/Comments/Concerns/Insults/Thoughts of love?? Feel free to write them in the comments :D
> 
> Take Care and Party Hard :0)


	22. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all :0)
> 
> Here's another chapter :D
> 
> Warning: Grammatical/Spelling errors and possibly slight OOC-ness!!
> 
> I hope you enjoy!!!

_**(End Flashback)** _

**(July 10, 1983. 8:10 PM)**  
“So what do we do now?” Scott asked from the couch.  
“What do you mean?” Doreen asked.  
“We just lost two of our friends,” Cain snapped. “Logan turned Angel in and probably is the reason Pete’s dead.”  
“It's not Logan’s fault,” Dallas quietly mumbled.  
“You don’t know that, kid. For all we know, Logan could’ve just decided to double-cross us and-”  
“I heard him back in Egypt. Apocalypse called Logan ‘Pestilence.’ There’s no way Logan purposely-”  
“He could’ve possessed Logan right then and there. Logan could’ve made a deal with Apocalypse and-”  
“What I don’t get is how we didn’t notice any signs,” Alex said. “No matter how good you are, eventually there is a slip and the puppet master is revealed. Maybe we just missed it or-”  
“Apocalypse keeps his puppets conscious,” Jean stated. Everybody looked at the red-haired mutant in confusion. “When he took over my body, I still had access to my thoughts and consciousness.”  
“Why would he do that?” Hank asked.  
“If he has access to one’s consciousness, then he has access to their emotional states and powers,” Charles concluded. “By keeping his victims awake, he has the power to perfectly mimic how they would usually act or feel...which explains why we could never see Logan’s possession coming.”  
“But I was completely awake. I mean, I could see everything that was happening around me, I just couldn’t intervene. Which is probably how Pietro managed to break me free.”  
“Speaking of Pete,” Toad began, “what about Erik? Poor bastard lost his son and has been sitting in that medical room almost twenty four hours.”  
“I’ll deal with Erik,” Charles calmly replied as he looked back at the open metal doors.  
Open?  
Charles tilted his head and began to wheel himself out of the living room.  
“Professor,” Hank asked, “is everything okay?”  
“You and Alex keep running this discussion,” Charles replied without sparing anyone a glance.

Charles made his way down the dimly lit corridor and into the medical wing. He stopped at the door and glanced around the room in order to find any traces of Erik. Dissatisfied with the results, he was about to turn around when a purple, metal object resting on top of a table caught his attention. He wheeled himself over to the item and realized that what he was inspecting was Erik’s helmet. Swallowing, he closed his eyes and silently tracked down Erik without addressing him in any form. Once he picked up Erik’s location, he placed the helmet on his lap and began to make his way out of the wing. He stopped himself, however, at the sight of Pietro’s bloody and pale body lying on the medical table next to where he found Erik’s helmet. He wheeled himself over to the body and placed a gentle hand on the cold forehead, his eyes scanning the damage.  
“Oh Pietro,” he quietly said to the lifeless body, “if only you could see how much you still mean to us all...”  
He removed his hand and made his way to Erik, turning off the lights and closing the door behind him.

Charles found Erik sitting in a stiff armchair that was placed in front of the chessboard they were playing before they left for Egypt. Erik’s fallen king was hovering in the air, just above Erik’s outstretched palm, with his aid. What concerned Charles wasn’t the almost empty bottle of Grappa sitting on the nightstand, nor the way Erik’s still blood-covered palm shook. What caught Charles' attention was Erik’s physical appearance under the armor. Dots of blood could be seen growing through Erik’s originally clean collared shirt. Dry blood still coated his left hand, face, and back of his neck. His free arm that wasn’t levitating the chess piece was pressed against his ribs and an occasional hiss of pain left his lips whenever he shifted his position. His normally energetic eyes were now laced with exhaustion, grief, and pain.  
“Are you just going to sit there and stare at me, or am I going to have to invite you into your own room?”  
Erik’s comment snapped Charles out of his observational stance and met Erik’s gaze. Swallowing, Charles slowly wheeled himself towards Erik, placing the infamous helmet on a nearby nightstand in the process. He sat across from him, the chess board acting as their bridge, and stared at Erik, whose gaze went back to the king piece. After a couple of tense seconds, Charles cleared his throat and addressed Erik.  
  
“You should let Hank examine your wounds.”  
“They’re fine,” Erik shot back in a monotonous and empty voice.  
“Erik, you need to get your hand checked out before the wound becomes infected.”  
“I said it's fine.”  
“You’re injured and exhausted. You’re far from fine, my friend.”  
“Dammit Charles!” Erik said in a raised yet defeated tone.  
Both mutants froze at the sudden outburst. Erik, who instantly regretted yelling at his friend who was only concerned for his well-being, swallowed before looking down at the chessboard.  
“I’m sorry.”  
“You have nothing to apologize for, my friend. What happened back there was…”  
“Foreseen? Predictable? Inevitable?”  
“What are you talking about? No one, not even myself, could’ve seen this coming.”  
“Pietro was doomed from the start.”  
Charles realized where Erik was going with his words and he didn’t like it one bit. “Erik-”  
“I never should’ve made any efforts to get closer with him.”  
“You honestly can’t believe that nonsense, can you?”  
“The moment I decided to take him under my wing and make him a part of my life-”  
“Enough, Erik!” Erik looked at Charles’ concerned gaze. “I know for a fact that none of that’s true.”  
“Perhaps you have forgotten about Magda. Or about my mother, my father, my sister, Anya, Marya, and her daughter Lorna. Anyone I have ever cared about or who was a part of my life in any form has either died or left me...I was a fool to think that Pietro would’ve been different.”  
“You’re acting as if you’re the one responsible for all of those instances.”  
Erik leaned closer to Charles. “Nazis killed my father and sister because of my religion. Shaw killed my mother because of my mutation. Anya died because of my mutation. Magda left me because of my mutation. Marya died because Apocalypse embraced my speech about mutation back at the White House. Our brothers and sisters are dead because of me. And now Pietro… my own son… ”   
  
Erik felt tears build up in his eyes and a lump form in his throat. As Charles sadly watched his friend unravel, he briefly reflected on his own experiences of mental anguish. No matter how much physical or emotional pain Erik inflicted on him, Charles completely believed that Erik didn’t deserve to suffer the way he was at the moment. In all honesty, Charles’ own struggles and pain paled in comparison to Erik’s. He had a very privileged childhood and grew up with that same privilege, which then acted as a shield. His paralysis and separation from Raven was the first time he ever experienced any kind of setback. But even then, things were considerably good. He had Hank by his side while he hit rock bottom before getting back on his feet, so to speak. Almost every person or mutant who associated themselves with him accepted his abilities. Erik, on the other hand, had setbacks since he was a little boy. His religion temporarily costed him his freedom and dignity, while it permanently costed him his father and sister. His mutation, a gift he once feared but now embraced, engendered a series of tragedies that would shape him into the man he is, or was, today. And even now, his pride and desire for justice ended up sparking this apocalyptic world...which ended up costing him his son. And although Charles can see how his friend’s personality played a major role in recent events, he still refused to believe that all of the pain his loved ones   
endured was because of him.   
  
Charles lowered his head so that Erik’s eyes would find his. “Listen, Pietro’s passing was caused by a mutant who wants total annihilation, something that you would never envision for this world. Anya’s death was the result of the unsympathetic and cruel nature those townsfolk acted on, something that was created due to a misunderstanding your former boss created. The purging of Jews, and ultimately your father and sister, began because a single ignorant, self-righteous, and power-hungry dictator had a nation eating from the palm of his hands, something you would never do to our brothers and sisters. And your mother...well, Shaw was a bastard, plain and simple.”  
Erik shot Charles a small smirk before unconsciously rubbing the bite wound on his hand. Charles could tell that his words still weren’t reaching Erik, so he tried something else.  
“My friend,” he began, “your mind, as distant and hostile as it may be, is different from all the senseless living forms who've been guided by selfish and destructive motives. What makes you different from them is your experience. You told me Apocalypse has witnessed this so-called cycle for centuries, correct? That’s just it...he’s only witnessed it. You, Erik, have experienced it. Throughout your life, you've been a victim of humanity's hubris. The men and women who relentlessly tortured you were only observers and the executors. They blindly gave into their unprecedented orders and selfish wishes, and, in return, they gained nothing: no resilience, no empathy, no knowledge, no wisdom. What you endured, and what you made out of that raw, incomparable pain separates you from the rest. You took your pain and made it into something…”  
“Idealistic?”  
“To some extent. I know that you would never harm a single mutant on purpose. You would never lay a single hand on anyone here. And you would especially never intentionally hurt me, Raven, or any of our former students. You’re empathetic and accepting of those who doubt their outer and inner strength. You express regret to those you’ve harmed, encourage those who fear themselves, and guide those who are lost.” Sighing, Charles gently snatched the floating king from Erik’s invisible hold and raised it in front of him. “That, my friend, makes you more powerful, wiser, and good-natured than all of these so-called kings and leaders.”  
Charles handed the piece back to Erik, who evaluated it in his uninjured hand. After a couple of seconds, Erik gently smiled at Charles.  
“Well... a successful king should not take all of the credit. After all, he has loyal followers who, despite their doubts and radically different values, follow and guide their leader until the end. I know I wouldn't be here, in this proclaimed 'state of power', if it weren't for you... so, thank you.” Charles smiled at the what he assumed were words of gratitude. “...I saw her,” Erik suddenly started, “back in Egypt.”  
“Who? Raven?” Erik nodded. “How was she?”  
“She looked...beautiful, almost as if her spirit were free of corruption and obligation.”  
“Was she hurt in any way?”  
“Not at all. But her eyes...her eyes were different.”  
“Different how?”  
“They weren’t green like Jean’s, Kim’s, or any of the possessed artifacts back in the pyramid. They were yellow…”  
“Why would Apocalypse...oh my god.”  
“What?”  
“The Four Horsemen. The reason Pietro managed to snap Jean out of her trance was because she was being possessed by Apocalypse himself. Raven and Logan must not be possessed by him. The Horsemen must have control over their minds-”  
“Explaining why it was so easy to break Jean free,” Erik concluded. “So now we’re dealing with Horsemen who possess their own consciousness, along with Apocalypse?”  
Charles shrugged his shoulders. “Apparently.”  
“Great,” Erik said as he began to stand up, “we need to get to work and-”  
“No Erik,” Charles cut off while gripping his friend’s sleeve. “You need to get some rest. Alex and I will come up with another plan.”  
“Charles, I’m perfectly capable of-”  
“Please? For me?”  
After a brief consideration, Erik sighed in defeat and gingerly stood at his full height. As he wrapped his arm around his probably bruised and broken ribs, he noticed Charles’ look of concern from the corner of his eyes. He patted his friend’s bicep before slowly limping towards his own room.  
“Charles?” he called from the door.  
“Yes Erik?”  
“You’re not going to leave anytime soon, right?”  
The instant confusion reflected in Charles' blue eyes soon morphed into understanding. “That’s correct, Erik. I don’t plan on leaving anytime soon. None of us do.”

Erik smiled before disappearing from Charles’ line of view. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's a short chapter but don't worry! There will still be more Charles and Erik moments to come ;) And the things that were brought up in this chapter will be further explored in the not too distance future! Also, I hope the dialogue made SOME sense lol
> 
> Questions/Comments/Concerns/Insults/Thoughts of love?? Feel free to write them down in the comments :D
> 
> Take Care and Party Hard :0)


	23. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all :0)
> 
> Here's another chapter!!!  
> IMPORTANT: I deleted the Author's Note chapter! And because of that, the chapters are now only one step behind. So, for those of you who may have missed it, I wrote a previous chapter before this one that may not have appeared as an update! This chapter ties in with the previous one (CH. 21), so you all may wanna read that one first :)
> 
> Warning: Grammatical/Spelling errors and possibly slight OOC-ness!!
> 
> I hope you enjoy!!!

**(July 11, 1983. 9:40 AM)  
** To Charles’ concern, Erik barely slept following their conversation. Yes, he took a shower and treated some of his injuries to the best of his abilities, but the fact that Erik didn’t get any kind of rest in order to heal his mind worried his friend. Charles could sense Erik’s restless mind and the nightmares that quickly followed. Erik’s nightmares revolved around the deaths of Magda, Anya, Pietro, as well as the fear of the deaths of the mutants currently residing in the mansion. Without intruding, Charles attempted to mentally assuage Erik’s fears, but failed. Even when Charles fell asleep that night, he could still feel the lingering presence of Erik’s distressed mind.

The next morning, Erik dragged his feet over to the kitchen where Jean was sitting by herself, staring at the glass of orange juice. While his exhaustion and the emotional (as well as physical) pain from yesterday still lingered, Erik felt an odd desire to check in with the girl. After all, she was manipulated by Apocalypse while having her freedom and mind forcefully taken from her. He poured himself a glass of water and gingerly sat down across from her. Her dark green eyes took in her acquaintances slumped and tired posture, as well as sluggish movements. For a couple of seconds, they both looked down and sat in awkward silence, both of them trying to conjure ways to begin the conversation. Finally, Erik opened his mouth to say something, but Jean beat him to it.  
“Are you okay?”  
Erik raised his eyebrow. “Am I okay? The girl who was possessed by a megalomaniac murderer asks if I’m okay?”  
She slowly met the older mutant’s gaze and was surprised by how tender and soft his green eyes were. “I mean...yeah. You lost your son and well...you don’t seem okay.”  
“I’m touched by your noncore concern, Ms. Grey, but I assure you that I’m okay.”  
“Your nightmares…”  
“How did you know-”  
She tapped the side of her head. “Telepath.” Erik narrowed his eyes. “I promise that I didn’t look into your mind of purpose! Charles is teaching me how to control my abilities!”  
“Isn’t he a saint?” Erik asked sarcastically.  
Jean smiled. "But still, your mind was restless. Your feelings of grief and guilt influenced your nightmares, which probably explains your exhaustion and refusal to take care of yourself.”  
Erik looked down and shut his eyes in order to block the memory of his son dying in his arms back in the jet. Jean could see and feel the distressed state Erik was in. No matter the dedication Erik put into his words of reassurance, everyone in the mansion could detect Erik's actual feelings of remorse and heartbreak. However, only Charles and Jean could see the fear he unconsciously projected. The fear of failing the kids at the mansion and, more specifically, the fear of failing Charles and Raven stuck in his mind. After everything that has happened to Erik in the past, she knew that plain words of comfort wouldn’t have any effect on him. Swallowing a lump that suddenly formed in her throat, she pushed her own fears aside and began her tale.  
“Pietro was right.” Erik opened his eyes and looked at her. “Remember back in Egypt when he asked me, or rather Apocalypse, how I got myself into that situation? Well, his guess was correct...I did lose someone I loved dearly.” She took a deep breath. “One night, my family and I were in a car accident. That accident claimed my older sister’s life, my mother’s legs, and eventually my father’s love. Losing my sister was, and still is, like losing a huge part of my life. I always thought that your sibling was supposed to be your past, present, and future. She grew up with me and was suppose to be by my side when I got older. The car accident paralyzed my mother… and my father just couldn’t handle the grief and changes. So he began to drink and drink, completely ignoring how much my mother and I needed him, how much we loved, him. That night, I lost my entire family and the life I had.” Erik’s mind briefly flashed back to the fire that claimed his daughter’s life and wife’s love. “I grew up fending for myself,” Jean continued, “but the pain and anger of that accident took control of my logic, and eventually powers. As my anger consumed me, my powers expanded. While having the ability to mentally lift objects and communicate with others, I slowly began to disintegrate objects as thick as steel. I could manipulate forms of matter and energy, from cosmic fire, and even manipulate life energy. I hated what my pain had led to, but I couldn’t stop it… no matter how hard I tried. Then, one day, Apocalypse happened to see me accidentally destroy someone’s home back in Boston. I don’t know what got into me, but I ended up destroying the homes of a lot of people and even killed two or three people. Apocalypse told me that he could sense the lingering pain of my sister’s death, as well as its aftermath, and the fear of myself.” She leaned closer to Erik. “He showed me some of his abilities and promised that he would bring my sister back. If I agreed to follow his rules for a short period of time, he would bring her back and erase the damage done to my family after. He would heal my family and destroy the dark powers within myself....”  
“Did he tell you what his plan was back then?”  
“All he said was that he wanted to help our kind. He told me that he wanted mutants to live in a world of peace and opportunity.” She shook her head. “I was a fool to trust him,” she bitterly snarled. “And now look what I’ve done! My decision ended up costing the lives of many innocent people and mutants, including your son’s.”  
“I want you to listen to me, Ms. Grey.” Erik gently said while leaning forward as well. “My son’s death is not on you, do you understand? I know for a fact that his death had nothing to do with your situation. If anyone is to blame, it should be me.”  
“What do you mean?”  
“If I hadn’t separated myself from the group, he wouldn’t have gone back in the pyramid and wouldn’t have gotten hurt. In fact, if I hadn’t made that speech in Washington ten years ago...none of this would’ve happened.”  
“Come on, Erik. That’s not true! Apocalypse had already planned to wipe out the human race. You’re speech was more of a distraction than a source of inspiration. People were so focused on your words and actions that they were completely oblivious to the damage Apocalypse had already begun to inflict on the world.” Jean softly smiled. “I know that your son’s death isn’t on you, Hank, Charles, Logan, Raven, or anyone here. The only one responsible is Apocalypse.”  
Although she could detect Erik's hesitance to believe her, she was happy at how lighter Erik’s mind felt. Sure the guilt, pain, and anger were still intact, but they didn’t feel as dominating or heavy as they did when she saw him minutes earlier.  
“Can I suggest something?”  
“Go on.”  
“Don’t let your emotions cloud your conscious...it’ll only lead to bag decisions and even worse consequences.”  
Erik nodded his head. He was surprised by the amount of sympathy and wisdom this young mutant was sharing with him. Just like him and Pietro, Jean’s tragic stories only seemed to ignite the maturity and wisdom others would gain at a much older age. However, unlike himself, Jean took notice at her darkened emotions and actually tried to fight it. Erik, on the other hand, let his emotions consume him and he embraced the amount of damage he created. Unlike him, Jean wasn't vengeful. She was hopeful. And while he would usually consider sympathy as a sign of weakness, he admired the strength she had to combat her emotions and intruding consciousness.  
“Thank you, Ms. Grey. I will take your words into consideration while-”  
“You hunt down Apocalypse?” she finished.  
“-while I plan my next move,” Erik corrected. “Also, thank you for sharing your story. I know it must’ve been hard to revisit that night.”  
Jean smiled and watched Erik slowly get up to leave. Suddenly, there was a burning question that she wanted to solve. Although the timing was horrid, she felt like now would be the only moment she would elicit a truthful response Erik.  
“Erik?” she called out.  
The metal-bender turned around. “Yes?”  
“...What was he like?”  
Erik’s expression saddened. Jean instantly regretted asking him this question and was about to apologize profusely, but she never got the chance.  
“He was talkative, I will say that. He was funny, unexpectedly intelligent...to some degree, and optimistic. He…” Erik sighed sadly. “He would’ve liked you...and you would’ve liked him.”  
Erik looked down before walking away, leaving Jean alone with her own grief, questions, and sadness.

The British mutant slowly walked down one of many long hallways. To his surprise, he found himself standing in front of the doors that led to the medical room where Pietro’s body was still laying. Instinctively, he began to walk away from the door and was taken by surprise when he saw Charles stationed in the hallway.  
“Jesus,” Erik gasped, “take ten years off my life, why don’t you!”  
“I’m sorry, Erik,” Charles said as he wheeled himself closer. “I used Cerebro to find one last mutant located only a couple of hours away from here. I’m going to take some of the students and bring them with me.”  
“I’m coming with-”  
“No you’re not. You’re staying behind in order to rest, okay?”  
“Dammit Charles, how much more healing do I need to do?”  
“As much as I want you to!”  
“After what happened back in Egypt, how can you be so calm about going out there with students? We had no idea that Apocalypse was waiting for us there and look what that led to!”  
“Erik, I promise you that the students will be fine!”  
“It’s not them I’m worried about,” Erik quietly responded, catching Charles off guard.  
“I’ll be in contact with Jean the entire time. She’ll be staying back here with you, as well as Dallas.”  
After a couple of beats, Erik said, “If anything happens to you, you **will**  contact me immediately.”  
“I’m not sure whether or not I like this protective side of you,” Charles replied in a jokingly seductive voice.  
“Charles,” Erik growled, unamused by the joke.  
“I promise, my friend.” Erik finally nodded his approval. “Good. I’ll see you in a couple of hours.”  
As Charles turned began to head towards the other students who were patiently waiting for his arrival at the end of the hallway, Erik felt a statement build up in him that he needed to tell Charles before he left.  
“Charles?”  
“Yes?” he called without looking back.  
“Be careful...please.”  
Charles stopped and looked over his shoulder. For the first time since their first encounter, Charles didn't see the confident, self-righteous mutant hellbent on ensuring order and peace. Charles saw the young boy who feared for his family's, as well as his own, life. Charles was honestly touched, as well as concerned, by Erik’s sudden worry over him.  
“I will, Erik.”  
He continued his way down the hallway, eventually meeting up with the other mutants. Erik remained standing in front of the medical door until he felt the metal of the Blackbird slowly vanish from his fingertips. Knowing that he was alone, he walked into the lab and back to the stool he once occupied for over twenty four hours.

The metallic yet all too familiar smell of blood instantly reached Erik’s nostrils. He sat on the metal stool beside the table that held Pietro’s body and took in a long, deep breath. He then scanned the horrible state his son was in. His skin was so pale that it just barely missed his usually silver hair. The dry blood that coated his hair, neck, and body had now turned an ugly shade of brown. Erik swallowed and directed his attention to the floor, which also had stains of dry blood.  
“I don’t even know where to begin,” he said aloud. “There are just too many things I wanted to say to you...but it seems that our time was cut short.” A beat. “Ever since Marya’s death, I couldn’t help but think that your life would’ve been better off without my intrusion. In fact, I can’t help but think that everyone’s life would’ve been better without me.” He slowly turned his body so that it was facing Pietro’s. “During our first car ride together, you asked me if I had any regrets… Well sitting here in this state certainly speaks for itself.” He placed a gentle hand on Pietro’s scalp, his fingers tangling themselves in the silver locks while his thumb began to gently stroke his hairline. “If I could turn back the clock and have a second chance to make things right, I would prevent myself from ever becoming a part of your life. And Marya’s. And Charles’. And Magda’s. Maybe that way you all could be spared from the physical and emotional damage my presence has caused.” Erik sniffed. “I let my mother down. I let Magda and Anya down. I let Marya down. I let Raven down. I let Charles down. And now I let you down. I guess that’s my trademark: letting the ones I love down. The people I'd die for always seem to be the ones who pay the price...”  
“Maybe I can change that."  
  
Erik snapped his head to the doorway and found himself staring directly into the eyes of a young hispanic man with wavy, raven hair. Without removing his hand from where it rested on Pietro’s head, Erik scanned the unexpected man suspiciously. The British mutant took in how clean this gentlemen looked in his blue suit and black shoes. Erik noticed just how calm the man seemed to be despite the fact that there was a bloody body lying on a table. In fact, the stranger almost seemed pleased with by the body, much to Erik’s suspicion.   
“I’m sorry, who are you?”  
“I think you know who I am.”  
As soon as those words left the stranger's mouth, he blinked and his brown eyes were instantly replaced with sharp red eyes, perfectly matched Apocalypse’s. The realization his Erik harder than a ton of bricks. Instantly, he stood up from his stool, knocking it backwards, and stood in a defensive position. Even though his son was dead, Erik still made an effort to protect him. To his surprise, Raven and Logan appeared behind Apocalypse, their eyes cold and unfeeling.  
“Erik?” a small voice called from the hallway.  
Erik looked around the trio’s shoulders and saw Dallas staring at the scene in confusion and horror. Erik’s paternal instincts quickly kicked in.  
“Dallas, you need to run!” he yelled from the medical room.  
“But-”  
“NOW!”  
Before Dallas could ask any questions, Erik slammed the metal doors closed, preventing anyone from entering or leaving the room. Satisfied that Dallas was (so far) out of harm’s way, Erik glared at Apocalypse. After an intense stare off, Apocalypse cleared his throat and smiled.

“We need to talk.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if this one is short! But like I said with the previous one, a lot of what was mentioned in this chapter (particularly Erik's lines) will be addressed in future chapters and will be more fleshed out :D
> 
> SOOO, I got Jean Grey's biography wrong xD Apparently I took her story from 'X-Men Supreme', which was part of a huge fan fiction series lol I may end up actually sticking with her story from 'Supreme' because it's not only more dramatic...but also because I'm slightly lazy and don't want to re-write CH. 19 :/  
> Let me know if you all prefer her 'Supreme' story or her cannon storyline! I will try to work with whatever you all chose in the end :D
> 
> Questions/Comments/Concerns/Insults/Thoughts of love??? Feel free to write them down in the comments :D
> 
> Take Care and Party Hard :0)
> 
> P.S: Still looking for hurt!Erik/Pietro stories :D Looking at what's going to happen the rest of the story (I have it ALL planned out), I may actually add "Whump" in the tags lol Because Pietro and Erik (especially Erik) got and will continue to get physically and emotionally beaten up ;)


	24. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all :0)
> 
> Sorry about the late updates! Been very busy with a summer job and college work :D Here's another chapter! It's a long one and introduces some new faces ;)
> 
> Warning: Grammatical/Spelling errors and possibly slight OOC-ness!!
> 
> I hope you enjoy!

‘ _Erik,_ ’ Jean projected, ‘ _what’s going on?!_ ’  
‘ _Make sure you and Dallas stay hidden._ ’  
‘ _But-_ ’  
‘ _Do not argue with me! Just do as I say!_ ’  
He felt bad for yelling at the young mutant, but he had to make sure that they would stay out of danger. Focusing his attention back to the medical room, he saw Apocalypse began to walk towards him. Unfazed by this movement, Erik stood his ground and levitated all of the surgical knifes in front of him.  
“Take one more step and-”  
“Relax, Erik. If we really wanted to kill you, we’d have done it by now.”  
He began to continue his trek towards Erik. Instantly, the metal-bender shot all of the metal objects directly into the larger mutant’s heart, stunning him. Apocalypse stumbled back a step or two, taking in the intruding objects, before sighing and pulling each tool out of his body as if it were nothing. To Erik’s (not-really) surprise, the lacerations on Apocalypse’s body slowly closed, leaving zero traces of any previous wounds. Apocalypse looked at the mutant’s look of confirmation before smiling.  
“Ouch,” he sarcastically remarked. He saw Erik begin to raise the metal again and said, “Please, haven’t you embarrassed yourself enough? Besides, the next attempt could cost you Raven’s life...”  
Erik swallowed and slowly lowered his hands. Despite the mutant’s words, Erik still kept his senses trained on the surrounding metal.  
“What do you want?”  
Ignoring Erik, Apocalypse brushed past the metal-bender. Eyeing the mutant carefully, Erik felt his blood boil when he saw Apocalypse stare down at Pietro’s body with pity and...pride?  
“Get away from him."  
He made his way towards Apocalypse but froze when he heard a venomous growl come from Logan, or whoever was possessing him. Erik turned around and saw Logan’s adamantium claws spring from his knuckles. Erik’s vision tunneled when he saw those claws --the ones that tore through Pietro’s flesh and ultimately claimed his life -- appear behind him. He clenched his hand and within a second, Logan’s metal claws were bent into a thick, almost unbreakable ball. He then tossed the possessed Logan across the lab and held him down by his claws, preventing him from advancing towards him. That taken care of, Erik turned back and saw Apocalypse gently stroking his son’s hair.  
“I said get away from-”  
A sharp pain suddenly erupted from the back of his head, forcing him onto his knees. Before he could regain his bearings, a blue arm wrapped around his throat, effectively cutting off his air supply. Although he knew that Raven was also possessed by a Horseman, he instinctively referred to her by her real name.  
“Raven... what are.... you doing?”  
She responded to his plea by slamming the back of his head against the white tile floor. Black dots and stars exploded across Erik’s vision, and a high-pitched ringing sound took over his hearing. His hazy senses could still pick up the warm blood making its way down the back of his neck. Before he could shake the effects off, he felt his head being forcefully lifted back up and the arm snake around his neck again, this time not as tight.  
“I came here to discuss a proposition that I feel will benefit the both of us.” He moved closer to where Erik was kneeling. “You and I are very similar. We’ve both witnessed inhumane actions taken against mutants who share similar identities. We’ve both experienced pain in all forms, we both will go to any lengths required to get what we desire, and we both want what’s best for our-”  
“You’re wrong."  
With a flick of his wrist, metal surgical tools shot from where they laid on the ground and wrapped around Raven’s wrists, gently yet effectively pulling her away from him. He pulled Raven towards the wall Logan was still pinned against and firmly locked her against the wall, preventing her from interfering with what he was about to say. Erik stood up to his full height, with some difficulty, and stared directly into Apocalypse’s red ones.  
“You would think that a mutant like yourself is aware of how easily men and women desire power. That obtained power leads to corruption, eventually affecting those around them, which ultimately forms that cycle you’re so driven to destroy. You believe that by killing those around you, you are doing our kind an enormous favor. You justify your actions with the idea that you’ve witnessed and experienced pain. That, is what tears us apart from each other. Throughout your lifetime, you’ve only watched how the addicting and uncontrollable lust for power has twisted the minds and souls of men and women alike. You’ve only watched the consequences hubris brings onto the lives of others.” He took a step closer. “I’ve been a victim of all of that, on multiple occasions. The idea that one man or group of people is superior than the rest ended up costing me almost everyone I’ve loved: my father, sister, mother, wife, daughter, and ex-girlfriend. Most recently, a certain mutant’s desire for complete annihilation ended up costing me my son’s life. My unwillingness to conform with society and follow the orders of power-hungry species ended up costing me those who I would die for. You and the others are the same: power-hungry, dominating, sadistic, and cruel. So, after everything you, Shaw, and others have put me through -- the pain, torture, and losses -- what makes you so sure that I’d be willing to cooperate with you?”  
“Because you seek redemption. I’ve seen men like yourself and they always have one thing in common: they all eventually seek some kind of redemption or forgiveness. Whether it be through religion, reflections, or action, they wanted to correct their errors. You, Erik, are no different. Think about it; you and Charles only recruited him in the beginning for his powers. You both neglected to regard his personal life and how tearing him away from his family would affect him. If you really cared for him, you would’ve left him to die alongside his family back in DC. The people you’ve lost doesn’t justify the pain you’ve put them, and countless others, through. Your desire for mutants to rid themselves of the shackles created by human oppressors ultimately costed you Charles’ legs, trust, hope, and briefly powers. You drove Raven away from the mansion and look what that costed her. You’re the reason Pietro’s life went to hell following your charade back in DC. You’re no better than myself, Shaw, or any of the others you claim are your enemies. Which brings me to why I’m here.” He walked back towards Pietro and was instantly blocked by Erik, who stood protectively in front of the table. Apocalypse sighed and began. “My encounter with you two forced me to reflect on a couple of...flaws. You see, back in Egypt, your son made a very interesting point regarding to my plans: what’s the point in creating a new society when there are bound to be mutants who will disagree with my vision?”  
Erik put the pieces together before Apocalypse could begin. “You’re going to annihilate everyone, aren’t you? Every human and mutant.”  
“I’m touched by your accusations… but no. You and I have a crystal clear understanding as to who is weak and who is strong in this world. I want you to help me gather a brotherhood of our kind so we can reclaim our lives once more. I’m not asking you to subject yourself to my demands and act as a slave. I’m asking you to be my partner. And in return, I’ll give you back Raven, Pietro, and Charles’ legs...they, as well as the other students currently occupied here, will not be harmed throughout our mission.” He moved closer towards Erik. “This is your chance for redemption, Erik. You’ll help me and my right-hand man fight for our kind all while making amends with those you’ve hurt for so long.”  
“In other words, purge the weak and recruit the strong or like-minded in order to rewrite history?”  
“Exactly.”  
Erik closed his eyes before nodding to himself. “No.”  
Apocalypse actually looked shocked by the sudden remark. “I beg your pardon.”  
Erik looked directly at the humanized-mutant. “I said no. Our brothers and sisters, as misunderstood as they may be, have potential. They already possess powers far greater than the regular homosapien, and I know that with a little push and encouragement, mutants can access their true capabilities. Strength is not limited to physical capabilities, which brings me to my other, more vital reason why I refuse to cooperate with you. The people I've loved may seem weak in your eyes, but they possess a strength far more important than the advantages they've received. Their strength lies in their hope that humanity will see us as allies; as friends. Their love for mankind was built by raw pain that I'm all too familiar with. It takes a lot of spirit to take pain and turn it into kindness, optimism, and hope. They would've died for those in need... hell, my own son died for this crumbling world. I'd do anything for redemption, which is why I refuse to accept your invitation! If I joined you, a monster fueled by arrogance and indignation, then that would be the ultimate betrayal. Charles, Raven, Pietro, and all of the students here -- none of them deserve to suffer because of me, not after everything I've done to them.”  
After finishing his little monologue, Erik cautiously made his way to the other side of the table across from where Apocalypse was standing. Once he was close enough, he unconsciously placed a gentle hand on top of Pietro’s uninjured shoulder. Erik looked up at Apocalypse and watched the calmness in Apocalypse’s eyes slowly morph into rage, frustration, and disappointment. Despite this unsettling transition, Erik still held his ground. Although the idea of sacrificing Pietro’s life, Raven’s freedom, and Charles’ legs killed the metal-bender, Erik knew with all of his heart that none of them would forgive him if he were to betray the students like that. And even if they weren’t in the picture, Apocalypse’s plans heavily contradicted his own mindset. Nobody could shake Erik’s integrities, not even his own son or Charles. He devoted his entire adulthood to let mutants of all strengths thrive in an non-judgemental and free world. He wasn’t going to let false promises and so-called redemption blind him. He owed himself and Charles that… A low chuckle caught Erik’s attention and he tilted his head in confusion.  
“To believe that I almost had to keep my promise! You, good sir, have saved me a heap of trouble.”  
“So you admit that all of your promises were lies.”  
“No, I admit that some promises are unfixable...like the promise for redemption. Come now, did you honestly believe that they would forgive all of the mistakes you’ve made? The kindness you’ve showered your students and friends with pales in comparison to all of the pain you’ve put Pietro, Raven, and Charles in. Despite being an all-powerful mutant, I would never be able to cleanse your soiled soul. Your chance for redemption died the moment you made your appearance in DC ten years ago.” Erik looked down at his son sadly, promoting Apocalypse to continue. “If your son were alive right now, he would hate you just as much as the world does.” Apocalypse looked at Erik’s wounded hand. “That’s an ugly bite you’ve got there. I’m surprised that the poison hasn’t killed you yet...perhaps I can help with that.”  
Immediately after Apocalypse snapped his fingers, a burning sensation quickly made it’s way from Erik’s hand and spread throughout his body. Erik yelped in pain and grabbed his hand. His insides felt like they were being lit on fire, and his senses were beginning to dull a bit. His head began to throb in agony, his vision going in and out of focus, his legs felt like jelly, and he could feel his temperature rise to very dangerous levels. Before he could make any attempt to steady himself, he felt someone hit him right in his chest like a battering ram, jostling his already damaged ribs. Raven, who escaped the small prison he made, began to viciously stomp on his chest. Although his ribs were currently being broken, the pain of the venom managed to overpower the pain of having his ribs crushed. After the relentless beating stopped, Erik laid on the ground in agony.  
“You claim that you know what true pain is,” Apocalypse growled. “You think what you know what real pain feels like? My friend, you haven’t felt anything yet.”  
Apocalypse glanced down at Pietro’s lifeless corpse before placing his hand on his forehead. After a couple of whispered words and mumbles, Pietro suddenly gasped awake and bolted upright. All of the physical pain Erik felt instantly vanished away and he found himself stumbling towards the bloody table that Pietro was sitting on. The metal-bender stood in front of his son and placed a gentle hand on Pietro’s neck.  
“Pietro?” he whispered, not trusting his voice at the moment.  
He tenderly pushed silver strands of hair away from Pietro’s eyes, which had yet to open. After a couple of tense seconds, they snapped open and his usually dark brown eyes were instantly replaced with bright yellow, perfectly matching Raven and Logan’s eyes as well. Erik, who quickly connected the dots, punched the metal table in rage and threw a syringe directly into Apocalypse’s neck. He injected the substance, which was a replicated version of the serum Pietro found back in Rhode Island, and watched in amusement as Apocalypse looked down at his body in confusion.    
“What did you do?!” Apocalypse shouted.  
Erik simply shrugged his shoulders, not wanting to spill their secret weapon that could put an end to the mutant once and for all. He looked back at his son, who continued to stare at him with no emotion. Erik was about to speak to his son, or whoever was inhabiting his body, but pain of the venom quickly overwhelmed his senses and mind. He fell back to the floor and vomited, specks of blood mixing in. Logan, who also managed to free himself from Erik’s now weak hold, and Raven began to viciously jump him, both taking advantage of Erik’s weakened state. While the blows continued to rain down on Erik, Apocalypse felt his brute strength slowly slip from his fingers. All of the faded wounds he’s received throughout his lifetime slowly began to make themselves known. Panicking, he quickly shifted back into his mutant form in a ditch effort to halt whatever was flowing through his system. He closed his eyes and look and concentrated on regaining control of his blood cells that contained the x-gene, which were quickly fading from his system. Within a minute, he eliminated almost all of the vile substance and glared at Erik, who was now a bleeding mess on the ground. With two quick strides, he was kneeling in front of Erik. He wrapped his hand tightly around Erik’s throat and pinned him against the wall.  
“I could kill Charles and the remaining students with my bare hands,” Apocalypse growled. “I could destroy everything your dear friend has worked so hard for in a blink of an eye.” A sadistic smirk slowly grew. “But I won’t...you all don’t deserve that kind of mercy. I want you all to watch this world slowly crumble into a heap of ash. The ones you love will become the ones you will fear. By the time survivors turn to you for help, you’ll be so broken that you’ll simply turn your back on them. I want to tear off that mask you wear --that mask of pride, confidence, self-righteousness, and passion -- with my bare hands. I want to break the unbreakable.”  
He slammed Erik’s head against the wall and motioned his third horseman to follow him. War stiffly slide off the table and began to follow Pestilence and Famine, who also began to follow him. The metal doors that were once shut so tightly were ripped open with ease.  
“Pietro,” Erik mumbled aloud, “I’m going to get you and Raven back… I promise.”  
The possessed mutant stopped following Apocalypse and stared down at the injured and sick mutant. Ignoring his master’s questions, War kneeled down in front of the Erik and tilted his head as if he was trying to figure something out. A few seconds later, the yellow eyes hardened, much to Erik’s disappointment. War caught up to his leader and fellow Horsemen, not sparing the former father a single glance. Within a second, all of them vanished, leaving a very distraught Erik alone in the medical room.

Push down the pain, nausea, and dizziness, Erik slowly stood up and began to stumble blindly throughout the empty corridor. His vision kept swimming in and out of focus and his legs began to shake underneath his weight. His world suddenly tilted violently and he found himself using the wooden walls for support. After a few more steps, Erik couldn’t hold himself up any longer. He fell onto his side and lied on the floor. Although he embraced how cool the floor felt against his head, he felt the urge to track down Apocalypse and bring back Raven and his son.  
“Erik?” a voice echoed in the hallway, “Erik!”  
Before he knew it, fiery orange hair filled his vision. He felt someone turn him onto his back and felt hands ghost over his body. To his confusion, the person kneeling right above him sounded extremely muffled and far away.  
“Er… o much blood… burning up… going… get help… Dallas… after him… me if he takes a turn for the w…”  
His foggy mind tried to construct the sentence, but the desire for sleep quickly overpowered his attempts. As he went in and out of consciousness, he swore that he could hear a thick Cajun accent, an explosion, a yelp of surprise, and Charles’ own unique voice. He weakly shifted his head to see what was going on and was greeted by Charles’ bright blue eyes staring down at him. Even though his vision was slowly fading, Erik could make out the worry and distress that his friend’s eyes held. He wanted to reassure his friend that he was okay and inform him about Apocalypse’s actions, but his body began to succumb to unconsciousness. His eyes slid closed on their own accordance and within a couple of seconds, Erik was engulfed in an endless sea of blackness.

Jean was sitting right beside Dallas in one of many living rooms, patiently listening to the conversation that was taking place below them. For the past half an hour, she dove deep into Apocalypse’s mind and quietly dug out key details about Apocalypse’s plans from his consciousness. These plans, as hard as they were to obtain, could hold important secrets that could take down Apocalypse. She was blindsided by a brief period of time when all of the barriers within Apocalypse’s mind shattered down, making it much easier for her to steal his thoughts. During this brief time, she could collected Apocalypse’s memories, especially the ones hidden deep within his mind. Those memories, unlike the rest, were nightmares. Jean was watching all of Apocalypse’s biggest fears and worst memories flash before her eyes. Once the barriers within his mind were (mostly) put back into place, Jean felt a smile of happiness and sadism appear. She now had all of Apocalypse’s biggest secrets in her mind...which could be used against the monster. She looked down at Dallas, who was sitting in her lap, and nodded to the boy.  
“What?” he asked.  
“I think I found his achilles heal,” she whispered back.  
‘ _Jean?_ ’ Charles suddenly said. ‘ _What’s going on back there?_ ’  
The redhead snapped out of her daze and addressed Charles. ‘ _Apocalypse is here. He poisoned Erik, got Famine and Pestilence to jump him, and took Pietro._ ’  
‘ _What do you mean he took Pietro?_   _You don’t mean-_ ’  
‘ _Apocalypse now has his War..._ ’  
Despite being a good distance apart, Jean could sense the distress, anger, and fear in her friend’s mind. She knew just how close he and Erik were and could tell that all of his worry was aimed directly at Erik. Jean felt the urge to comfort Charles, but she knew better and let Charles sort his thoughts out without her intrusion. After a couple of seconds, the British telepath addressed her.  
‘ _Are you and Dallas safe?_ ’  
‘ _Yeah._ ’ A brief pause. ‘ _Apocalypse just left the campus. I’m going to check on Erik..._ ’  
‘ _Jean, we’ll be right there! Just be careful!!_ ’  
Once their minds separated, Jean carefully nudged Dallas off her lap and began to make her way downstairs towards Erik.  
“Stay right behind me” she whispered, “and be quiet.”  
Dallas nodded and was on her heels.

 Once they made their way down the large staircase at the entrance, Jean looked to her right and noticed Erik lying on the floor.  
“Erik?” she called out. “Erik!”  
She jumped over the remaining four stairs and ran towards Erik. Without thinking, she gently repositioned Erik so that he would be lying more comfortably on his back. The first things she took in was how much blood was covering the metal-bender and how hot he felt. She didn’t even have to touch his forehead to know that his temperature was dangerously high. His cheeks were flushed, his eyes were glassy, and his breathing was labored. To basically sum it up: Erik looked like hell.  
“Erik,” she whispered, “can you hear me?”  
“Erik?” Dallas asked from behind Jean. “Jean, what happened to him? Is he okay? Why is he-”  
“I don’t know,” she replied, not sparing Dallas a glance. “Jesus, there’s so much blood! And the bite on his hand is the reason he’s burning up so badly.” Placing a comforting hand on Erik’s shoulder, she turned to Dallas. “I’m going to get him some help, okay? Dallas, look after him and make sure to contact me if he takes a turn for the worst!”  
Dallas, who was completely overwhelmed by everything that was happening, nodded and situated himself where Jean was previously kneeling. He placed a shaky hand on Erik’s shoulder and looked down at his friend, who didn’t even acknowledge his presence.  
Jean made sure things were in place before running down the hallway, mentally projecting Charles and the rest to hurry up. She stopped running when a voice, an unfamiliar voice, filled the silent air.  
“Missy, you don’t take breather you’re gonna do more harm to that poor bastard lyin’ on the floor.”  
She froze and snapped her head to the right.  
A young man with brown hair and pink eyes was leaning against the wooden door frame. Underneath his brown trench coat, the stranger wore a fuchsia long-sleeved shirt, black army pants, which were covered by silver leg guards, and black boots. The thin, black headband and fingerless gloves heavily contrasted his pink shirt and eyes. A long pole was resting between his legs. The man was shuffling a deck of playing cards with so much ease and gracefulness that Jean briefly thought that it was all an illusion. Jean was smitten by his looks, talent, and unique accent. He looked up to her and bowed his head. Before she could find her voice, the sound of door opening caught her off guard. She looked down the hallway and saw everyone -- Charles, Hank, Alex, Ink, and the remaining students -- stare at the pair in confusion and distrust.  
“Who the hell are you?” Alex spat out.  
“Depends on your next move. Y'all hear me out, I'm a friend. Y'all attack me, then we'll have some difficulties. Trust me when I say that.”  
“And why should we trust you?” Hank growled.  
“Cause,” the stranger said, moving away from the doorframe, “I’m just like you… 'cept better.”  
The furry, blue mutant began to charge towards the man, but stopped short when he saw the stranger lift up one of his cards and hold it out in front of him. Despite their distance, everyone could see small fuchsia lines of energy slowly slip from his glowing fingertips and wrap around the card.  
“He can control kinetic energy,” Scott deducted.  
“Ain't you a bright one...” the man sarcastically replied.  
He stared at the card for a second before throwing it at a small vase placed on the table located in the center of the foyer. As soon as the objects touched, they both exploded and were now a pile of ash. The explosion caused Dallas, as well as Doreen, to yelp in fear. Doreen quickly hid behind Storm, who wrapped her arm around the frightened mutant. The stranger smirked and moved towards the group.  
“Now, as much as I would love to stand here and show of my abilities, I'm afraid your friend down there ain't doing so well.”  
Charles' eyes tore away from the stranger and landed on his friend, who was currently lying on the floor. “Erik!!”  
Oblivious to the questions spurting from his students, he began to quickly wheel himself towards his friend. While he moved forward, the stranger began to walk behind him and began to play with his cards again. Charles glanced at the mutant with unease and distrust.   
“Relax, my friend. I ain't gonna hurt you.”  
Charles didn’t pay attention to a single word the mutant said and focused on Erik. Once he was close enough, Dallas moved away from Erik and let his mentor get to Erik’s side. The telepath looked down and covered his mouth in shock. Within an hour, Erik managed to get nearly beaten to death and ill. All of the cuts and bruises plastered on his body looked twice as worse when seen on the feverish skin. Charles reached down and ran his hand through Erik’s brown hair, wincing as warm blood quickly coated his palm.  
“Erik, can you hear me? Erik?"  
Before he had the chance to enter Erik’s mind, the mutant lost consciousness. Not wanting to intruding on Erik’s mind while he was in such a vulnerable state, Charles pushed away the temptation and looked back at the stranger, who was leaning against the wall and playing with his cards.  
“Your boyfriend doesn’t have much time…”  
“He’s not-”  
“I have a cure… Or rather, if you give me a day, I will have a cure. The venom in his system is preventin' his body from healin'….you pickin' up what I’m puttin' down?”  
“Thank you, my friend! You have my full-”  
“Woah there! I don’t work for free.”  
“What? I have to give you something in exchange for my friend’s life?”  
“Every man has a price to charge and a price to pay…Trust me when I say this, I’ve paid my debt.”  
“With what?”  
“Spades,” he answered while flipping out an ace of spades. “The price you’ll need to pay ain’t a big one!”  
“...What do you want?”  
“Information regardin' Apocalypse and another big baddie roamin' the streets.”  
“I’m sorry, but you’ll have to give me a name for the other man-”  
“His name’s Nathaniel Essex...I've referred to him as Mister Sinister. Guy looks like a vampire: grey skin, raven hair, red eyes like his buddy Apocalypse...”  
“What exactly did he do to you?”  
“Nothin’ pretty, I’ll tell you that much.”  
“But-”  
“Tick tock, sir,” the stranger interrupted.  
Charles looked up at the mutant. “Why should I put my trust and his life in your hands?”  
“You’re desperate. Y’all lost three of your most cherished mutants -- a speedster, shifter, and healer with mighty fine claws -- and are about to lose one of your closest allies, friends, and apparently lovers.”  
“He’s not my-”  
“You keep tellin' yourself that. Y'all can't afford to lose another member of this little group going on here. Look here, I wanna help y’all take down that bastard, but in order to do that, I need information about Sinister. Rumor has it that he and Apocalypse wanna work together to annihilate mankind.”  
Charles looked down at his friend before sighing in defeat. “Fine.” Before the man could move away, Charles grabbed the stranger’s wrist. “You betray me, or anyone here, I’ll-”  
“Wipe my memories? Kill me? Probably would be for the best if I do say so myself.” Charles raised his eyebrow in confusion. “Saw your little mind-reading machine back there,” he answered. "You're a telepath --a mind-reader, creator, and destroyer. I've met men like you and know not to double-cross 'em. Could end up payin' a heavier price 'cludin' money."  
Charles reluctantly let go of the man’s wrist and addressed Hank and the others. “Could you help bring Erik to his room and prepare him for treatment?”  
Everyone nodded and made their way towards the pair, each of them glancing at the stranger as they made their way towards Erik. Jean smiled at the mutant, which earned her a sincere bow.  
“M-My name's Jean Grey,” she said shyly.  
“Pleasures all mine, mademoiselle.”   
He winked at the young mutant, promoting Jean to blush and Scott, who was watching the exchange, to growl underneath his breath. She snapped herself out of her trance and moved to help the others with Erik. Charles and the stranger moved away from the group to give them room to work.  
“Young man,” Charles began, “don’t let me down. I’ve already lost too much...I can’t lose him. Not after everything we’ve been through.”  
The outsider tilted his head, silently evaluating the paralyzed telepath. Although he was joking about those two being in love, he could see the real love and worry the British mutant felt for his friend. He could tell how much hope and faith this man struggled to uphold and he felt the desire to hold up the man’s hope a little while longer. Besides, the world was going to hell and eventually, all of that hope will die. He might as well aid the mutant as quickly yet effectively as he could.  
“I promise you that I’ll be back with a cure within the next day. And I’m a man of my word."  
The stranger bowed his head, stuffed his cards into his coat pocket, picked up his staff, and made his way towards the doors.  
“What’s your name?” Charles called.  
The other mutant started at him for a second before taking off into the distance. Charles sighed and was about to make his way towards his friend, but then froze when a voice called for his attention.

‘ _My friends call me Remy LeBeau… the rest call me Gambit._ ’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :D  
> I feel like the quality of my writing has worsened than improved...  
> I'm sorry if the chapter seems rushed/disorganized! I will definitely revisit this chapter again and again to make it better! Also, Gambit is a hard person to write :D Sorry if he seems out of character! I'm trying my hardest!! His background, which I'll dive deeper into, will tie in with the Apocalypse storyline :D  
> The quote, "Every man has a price to charge and a price to pay," comes from "Uncanny X-Men #350"
> 
> Questions/Comments/Concerns/Thoughts of love?? Feel free to write them down in the comments! I've received some very helpful and kind comments in the past and I couldn't be more grateful to have followers like you all! Thanks for all of the feedback!!
> 
> Take Care and Party Hard :0)


	25. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all :0)
> 
> Here's another chapter! This one is VERY Gambit heavy :D So for those of you who love Gambit, this one is for you :0) 
> 
> Warning: Grammatical/Spelling errors and possibly slight OOC-ness!!
> 
> I hope you enjoy!!

**(July 11, 1983. 06:30 PM)**  
“Good evenin', monsieur.”  
“Hello,” the young secretary said from his desk. “Welcome to the Providence Research Lab. How can I help you?”  
“I’m lookin’ for Doctor Karl Stragg.”  
“Why?”  
“Rumor has it that he has a bounty placed on the two fellas who infiltrated the facility, released the prisoners, and escaped with some valuables. Last I heard, they broke into the lab twice…”  
“So?”  
“What if I told you that I have their location?”  
The receptionist raised his eyebrows in surprise. “Impossible.”  
“Nothin’s impossible, my friend.”  
“Why did it take you this long to-”  
“If you haven’t noticed, the world is goin’ to hell at the moment. Forgive me if huntin’ down two mutants wasn’t my first priority.”  
“This is… fantastic! Doctor Stragg will be so pleased!” The man picked up a pen and pad. “Just tell me where they’re located and I’ll give Stragg the address immediately.”  
“Actually, I wanna talk to Stragg myself. You see, he and I have a workin’ relationship.”  
“He’s never mentioned you before.”  
“Do you even know my name, sir?”  
“Uh, no.”  
“So how do you know if he has or hasn’t referenced me?”  
“...my apologizes. So, what’s your name stranger?”  
“Stragg calls me, “Le Diable Blanc.”  
“What does that mean?”  
“That ain’t any of your business, is it?” The man’s eyes widened at the snarky remark, but Gambit kept going. “Listen here, Stragg and I have been partners-in-crime, so to speak, for quite some time now. If he needs somethin’, like the location of the two mutants, then I’ll give him it, no matter what...so, are you gonna help me or not? Cause I know some other government facilities who would love to get their hands on these two gentlemen and-”  
“Fine! I’ll have Susan escort you to his-”  
“I already know where his office is, sir.” As the words left his mouth, he was already making his way down the long hallway. “Merci beaucoup, monsieur.”    
The brunette bowed his head before escaping the man’s line of vision.

Once he was sure that no one was following him, Gambit quickened his pace and walked down the sterile corridor. As he was walking, he took in all of the dents, cracks, and burn marks that were plastered on the wall, heavily contrasting what would have been a red, crystal clean, and fresh white wall.  His black boots clomping against the floor echoed throughout the empty hallway. Occasionally, he would glance over his shoulder to make sure that nobody was following him or holding any weapons behind his back...not like any of that would matter. He could take them all down within a couple of seconds, a minute at the most. He also slid two charged playing cards underneath some of the doors that led to empty rooms. Eventually, he saw Stragg’s office a couple of doors down to his right. Smiling, he lowered his black fedora so that it would cover his eyes and took a sharp left, leading him to the medical room.  
Just like the hallway, the medical room had dents, cracks, and even tiny flecks of dry blood plastered all over the walls. The thought of the silver-haired kid and his partner-in-crime being responsible for all of the destruction put a big smile on his face. His eyes traveled to a cabinet placed above the sink. He quietly walked over to the cabinet, opened the doors, and smirked at the goodies sitting patiently right in the center: three vials containing a cure for any poison...including spider venom. He gently snatched them from their resting place and stuffed them into a pocket inside his trenchcoat. Satisfied with himself, he placed two cards in the cabinet, closed the doors, left the medical room, and was about to make his way out of the lab when he heard a door creak open.  
“Good evening, LeBeau.”  
Gambit turned around and saw Doctor Karl Stragg standing underneath the door frame in his office. Pushing down the sudden urge to evaporate the bastard right on sight, Gambit smiled and bowed his head.  
“Stragg. Was just 'bout to come see you!”  
“Is that so?”  
“Yes sir.”  
Stragg nodded his head towards the medical room. “Why were you in there?”  
“Can’t a man reminisce?”  
Gambit and Stragg stared at each other, both of them trying to evaluate each other. After a few tense seconds, Stragg shot Gambit one of his infamous smiles before motioning the mutant to his office. Gambit looked down the hallway, making sure that no one was watching him from a distance, before following Stragg.

“So,” Stragg began as he sat down in his seat, “what brings you here?”  
“Just happened to pass by this place and-”  
“So you’re still living on the road, huh?”  
“That’s right,” Gambit said from the door frame, not wanting to get too comfortable. “It ain’t so bad once you get used to it. You have your own creed, don’t answer to anyone, and can take whatever you want when you want.”  
“Seems like a good life for a rat like you.” Gambit raised his eyebrow, but said nothing. “So what really brings you here? A thief like you doesn’t just visit someone without wanting something...so what is it?”  
“I’m lookin’ for some information regardin’ a certain mutate named Nathaniel Essex.”  
“What makes you think that I know anything about-”  
“Cause I know that you created and gave the baddie of the year, Apocalypse, the venom he injected into his pet spider. You have ties to En Sabah Nur, who has ties with Nathaniel…”  
“And what makes you think that I’ll hand over information like that over to a freak like you?”  
“Cause you’re in my debt.” Gambit sat down in the chair in front of Stragg’s desk and took out a deck of playing cards from his pant’s pockets. “If I recall, you owe me five grand...consider my new deal the better one.” He absently shuffled the cards. “You give me information about Nathaniel, I look past the debt. So what do you say, monsieur?”  
Stragg leaned forward. “Okay, I’ll tell you a thing or two about the mutate...in exchange for Erik Lehnsherr’s location. The young man at the front desk informed me of the information you’re carrying and I intend to get it.”  
“You believe that I’m gonna give you that kind of information to a man like you, who's in MY debt? Sorry sir, but that ain’t how I work.”  
Stragg felt his blood boiling. “You freaks are all the same. You think you can walk all over our kind who-”  
“Have walked over our kind for centuries,” Gambit finished, his eyes still trained on his cards. “Your kind ain't as pure as you want 'em to be, and there ain’t nothin’ out there to prove so otherwise. What I want pales in comparison to what you owe me. So monsieur, avon-nous un accord?”  
Suddenly, the door behind him bursted open and ten men with machine guns came charging into the room. Their guns were trained on Gambit’s back. The mutant glared at Stragg, silently vowing to make him pay, before he sighed and placed his cards back in his pocket.  
“Easy gentlemen,” he said while raising his hands in the air, “y’all seem a bit rusty. Y'all wouldn't wanna hurt yourselves, now would y'all?"   
Remy slowly reached for a pencil dangling on the edge of Stragg’s desk, prompting one of the guards to press the gun against the mutant’s back. “Don’t move!”  
“I’m just gonna write down where the others are located. A deal’s a deal,” he continued while glaring at Stragg, “am I right?” Once the pencil was situated in his hands, he began to twirl it around. “It’s funny that you claim that I just take what I want and act without a second thought. The doctor who abducts and tortures mutants, livin' bein's, for his own personal game, thinks that I’m the baddie here. Ironic, ain't it?” The pencil began to glow. “That’s the difference between myself and the rest of the scum you seem compare me with… Remy can see the difference between right and wrong. Remy attempts to correct his mistakes...and Remy don’t ever let anythin' or anyone hold him down.”  
  
Smiling, he flung the pencil with all of his force behind him. The pencil embedded itself into the guard’s skull, killing him immediately. While the guard was crumpling onto the ground, Gambit reached into his jacket and pulled out a small, metal stick. With a press of a button, the small baton expanded into a large staff. He swung it around and began to mercilessly take down the guards one by one. Sometimes, he would bend down and swing his staff against the guards’ ankles, throwing them off their feet. Other times, he would smack the tips of the staff directly against the guards’ foreheads, knocking them out instantly. Within thirty seconds, all of the remaining guards were lying unconscious on the floor. He grabbed one of his playing guards, stood out of the office, and flung it at the alarm system, which someone was about to activate. The card met its target and the alarm system that would’ve send in waves of guards was disabled. The guard who tried to activate the switch, was flung in the air due to the small explosion. Gambit threw another one of his cards at the airborne soldier. It hit them and knocked them out instantly. Smiling, Gambit returned to Stragg’s office, slammed the door shut, and used the chair he was sitting on moments ago as a barricade, tightly locking the door. He turned around and saw Stragg pointing a handgun directly at him.  
“Uh uh uh,” Gambit calmly warned while picking up another one of his cards.  
“You’re a monster.”  
“Remy's just a man on a mission...who’s missin' the last piece of the puzzle.”  
Stragg pulled the trigger and four bullets came flying at the mutant. With ease, Gambit threw his cards directly at the bullets. The deadly balls of metal lost their trajectory and momentum as soon as his cards connected with them. One by one, the bullets plopped onto the ground in front of Gambit’s feet. Stragg emptied his magazine clip and was met with the same results. As soon as Gambit was sure that Stragg wouldn’t fire at him, he threw another card directly at Stragg. The Doctor went flying across the room and hit the wall. The mutant ran towards the fallen doctor, grabbed the discarded letter opener, and pressed it tightly against the Doctor’s throat. Like his cards and the pencil from earlier, the knife was enveloped in fuschia static energy, which would quickly turn into kinetic energy.  
“ 'Nother benefit from livin’ on the road are the skills you obtain. I ain’t afraid to put what I’ve learned to the test right now. So tell me, what do you know about Mister Sinister?”  
Stragg let out a chuckle. “You think I’m going to tell you anything? After everything you did to The Morlocks? You had a choice: you chose to follow Sinister and now you’ll deal with the consequences. Everything that you’ve done since that massacre was only done to clear your consciousness… You think tracking down Sinister will bring you happiness and forgiveness? No matter how hard you'll try, your mistakes and the guilt that follows will alway haunt you. No matter how much good you’ll do in the world, it will always look down on you and only see a murderer. No matter how hard you try, you’re past will always define you. You were born a monster, so you’ll die a monster.”  
Gambit’s composure fell for a second as Stragg’s words were carved its way into his brain and heart. Still, he didn’t have time to argue. He needed to get the vials to the mansion and get the information he needed. Swallowing, Gambit’s eyes turned fuchsia and he glared at the Doctor.  
“Maybe you’re right. Maybe I’ll end up leavin' this world without redemption or forgiveness… but for now, I might as well try to make things right.”  
With ease, he slit Stragg’s throat and watched his tormentor choke on his own blood. His flesh and muscle began to melt like butter due to the kinetic energy that was wrapped around the knife. Although it sounded twisted and sadistic, Gambit actually took a bit of pleasure in watching that bastard, who experimented and killed countless mutants throughout his lifetime, die before him. As soon as the life left the Doctor’s eyes, Gambit stood up, carelessly tossed two cards onto the corpse, and briefly bowed his head.  
“Reposez en paix,” he muttered.  
He removed the chair, threw the door open, and ran down the hallway towards the security room.

He kicked the door down, subdued the men monitoring the cameras, and manually turned off all of the cameras. He transferred a significant amount of energy into technology that would've been used against him -- monitors, computers, and memory cards. He then placed the remaining cards right in the center of the room. He bent down and placed his palm lightly on top of the cards, transferring huge amounts of kinetic energy into the inanimate objects. Smiling, he ran out the door and snapped his fingers. Within a second, everything in that room became useless piles of ash. He ran down to the basement, taking down any guard who dared to challenge him, and quickly scanned each cell in case there were any other mutants hidden in them. To his relief, there were none. Realizing that he had everything that he needed, he escape through the back entrance and ran towards his motorbike, which was parked deep within a cornfield. He started the engine, looked back at the facility that he may or may not have planted tiny card explosives in, and saluted the building.  
“Au revoir!”  
He snapped his fingers, briefly relished the echoes of explosions, and took off into the distance.

 **(July 12, 1983. 09:20 AM)**  
“Thank you so much, Andy.” female reporter Debbie Smith said on TV. “Onto our next story. We have incoming reports that a bombing took place in the Providence Research Lab late yesterday evening. Our sources claim that at least five people, one being the renowned Doctor Karl Stragg, were killed and six more were injured. Forensic scientists believe that a series explosions that took place within ten separate rooms, completely destroying countless surgical tools, potions, and files. Investigators and survivors don’t have any leads as to who or what was responsible for the attack. We’ll have more updates as the story unfolds. In the meantime, the world watched in horror as four mutants continue to destroy some of the nation's biggest cities, Boston being the most recent one. The death toll is uncountable and the number of people injured reaches almost six thousand. Survivors are currently being treated and cared for by the United States National Guard and Red Cross. Amateur photographers and cameramen have captured sneak peeks of what the terrorists look like.”  
Charles rubbed his eyes when blurry pictures of Raven and Pietro appeared on the news. He sighed sadly and looked back at his friend, who was still unconscious and feverish. Since their encounter with Gambit, not only was the world already feeling the wrath of Apocalypse and his Horsemen, but Erik’s health began to decline at an alarming pace. He was very thankful that Alex, Hank, and Scott watched over the students while Charles kept his vigil over his friend. He kept his friend cool while soothing the psychedelic nightmares only a high fever could fuel. Although there were times when the nightmares became too emotional for Charles to witness and soothe, he still remained by his friend's side, hoping and praying that he would be okay in the end. For a brief period of time yesterday, Charles tore himself away from his friend and headed to Cerebro. He tried to track down the man Gambit called Mister Sinister, but ultimately failed. While he briefly touched the man’s mind, Charles learned two important things: Sinister is a human mutate and is a telepath… which explains why it was too difficult to track him down. Not wanting to put his own health and the students’ at risk, he abandoned his quest and went back to Erik, grabbing some books along the way. While sitting beside Erik, he read as much as he could about mutants, or human mutates, who shared similar abilities to Mister Sinister. While most of the information pertaining to Sinister were lores and theories, there was one story that seemed to recur throughout multiple books. An event people called “The Mutant Massacre,” was led by Sinister himself. Sources claim that he led a group of mutants named “The Marauders” to wipe out a group of mutants named “The Murlocks.”  What caught Charles’ attention the most were the names of the assassinators that were listed in a newspaper article: Janos Quested, Victor Creed, and Remy LeBeau. Logan had mentioned earlier that he had a brother named Victor Creed, Janos Quested was a mutant they actually encountered in Cuba twenty years ago, and only Charles knew Gambit’s true name. He put the pieces together and realized why Lebeau was so desperate to obtain any information relating to Sinister. Still, it didn’t hurt to dig deeper into the situation. When he woke up two hours ago, his mind was instantly overwhelmed by questions and concerns regarding Gambit’s past and Erik’s condition. And now, watching the news and seeing two people he’s cared for destroying towns and cities only agitated his mind further.  
“Professor?” Hank quietly called from the entrance.  
“Yes Hank?” Charles turned down the TV’s volume.  
“There’s someone here to see you.”  
“Mornin’ sir,” a new voice said behind Hank.  
Remy, who looked slightly tired and was covered in dirt, smirked and headed towards the telepath. He knelt down in front of the mutant, reached into his coat pocket, and took out three vials containing what Charles hoped was the cure.  
"I believe this is the stuff your lookin' for?"  
“Oh my god,” Charles muttered. “Hank?”  
“I’m on it, Professor.”  
Hank took the vials from Remy’s hands and ran back to his lab to grab a syringe. He ran back to Erik’s room and quickly injected the serum into Erik’s arm. Once all three vials were emptied, Hank and Charles held their breaths and anxiously monitored Erik’s condition. After a few mutters, Erik quieted and fell back into a peaceful sleep. Hank placed a hand on Erik’s forehead and let out the breath he was holding.  
“His fever’s breaking.”  
Charles also released the breath and ran a shaky hand through his hair. “Oh thank god.”  
“He ain’t out of the woods yet, monsieur,” Remy said. “I’ve had my fair share of injuries and can honestly say that your friend there was nearly beaten to hell. Least now he has a better chance of healing.”  
Charles extended his hand. “Thank you so much, my friend.”  
Gambit, who was surprised by the name, nodded and shook the telepath’s hand. “Like I said, I’m a man of my word.”  
Hank moved away from Erik and looked at Remy with fascination. “How did you get the serum? I'm pretty sure labs just don't hand over serums as powerful as this over to anyone.”  
“A friend of mine owed me… He worked in a research lab and the two things kinda intertwined.”  
While Hank nodded, Charles glanced at the TV, which went back to the Providence Lab incident.  
Remy followed Charles’ gaze. “Huh. That’s a real shame.”  
Charles eyed the mutant suspiciously but then smiled. “If you would like, you could get some rest and stay here for the night. I know that I owe you information regarding Sinister and I promise that I'll tell you what I know... but I want Erik to be awake and participate in the conversation. With his background, he’s bound to know something about Sinister.”  
Remy stared at the telepath, not really trusting his proposal. He wasn’t one who enjoyed staying in the same place longer than he needed to, but considering that he hasn’t slept in almost twenty four hours, he found himself nodding at the offer.  
“Your hospitality is appreciated.”  
“Fantastic! Hank and I will show you to your room.”

Remy smiled and followed his now hosts out of the mutant’s room. As he left the room, the corner of his eye caught a newspaper clipping of “The Mutant Massacre.” For a second, his heart stopped beating.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter will focus a lot on Gambit's backstory and how it ties to Apocalypse :D
> 
> Questions/Comments/Concerns/Insults/Thoughts of love?? Feel free to write them in the comments!  
> I'm curious, what do you all think about Channing Tatum being cast as Gambit?? I know that the film takes place in the past, but I would've loved to see Taylor Kitsch reprise the role. He really did a fantastic job :D I have faith that Tatum will be alright (if not, good) in the film!
> 
> Take Care and Party Hard :0)


	26. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all :0)
> 
> Here's another chapter!!  
> Important: I re-read "The Mutant Massacre" and realized that it took place in 1986, three years after this story/film takes place!! I apologize to any hardcore X-Men fan who may get upset/confused. Because this is an AU and also reality was alternated because of Raven's actions in DOFP, I figured that this blunder could actually work :)
> 
> Warning: Grammatical/Spelling errors and possible slight OOC-ness!!!
> 
> I hope you enjoy!!

**(July 12, 1983. 03:45 PM)**  
As always since his capture, Warren slowly came around strapped onto the metal table plopped right in the center of the the Royal Mills. His dull senses could pick up the sound of a heavy rainfall outside, the cold air seeping through the cracks and tickling his skin. He weakly turned his head to the side and was, once again, greeted by the sight of Apocalypse, Shaw, Logan, Raven, and Peter.  
‘ _Wait? Peter is here?_ ’  
“Peter? W-What are you doing here? And why are you so bloody?”  
“Let’s just say he wasn’t as cooperative as Raven and Logan were… May I introduce you to War. Now I have everyone I need to move my plan forward...except for one person. That is where you, Warren Worthington the Third, come in.”  
To be honest, Warren wasn’t paying attention to a single word coming out of his tormentor’s mouth. He was too busy staring at his friend, who was now possessed by Horsemen. He scanned all of the blood that covered the mutant, taking note of three deep slash marks that began on his right shoulder and disappeared underneath the black t-shirt and grey jacket. Despite his weakened state, Warren easily put the pieces together and glared at Pestilence.  
“You killed him, didn’t you?”  
“He refused to cooperate and-”  
“You killed him! You son of a bitch!!! Why kill him and not kill me, huh? Why waste endless hours torturing me when you could’ve just ended it all here?”  
“It’s all an experiment,” Apocalypse chimed in. “While Raven and Logan were more willing to submit themselves to me, I knew that Pietro would be much more resistant. His death was tragic, but all part of the experiment. The submissive, the cracked, and the dead. It not only brings some diversity into this group, but it also gives me notes as to what was the easiest. If I am to be honest, killing the meat suits is easier...but less entertaining. I don’t get to see their already tormented souls battle their morals and inner demons. I don’t get to hear them yell in pain, asking the higher being to forgive their past sins. With death, they won’t ever know just how powerful, merciless, and determined I am…which brings me to why you’re still alive. You are only living soul who has felt the true wrath I can inflict upon the Earth. With that knowledge, your Horseman will have pain, rage, and despair to feed off of. Your Horseman will be my right-hand man… And the more you resist your impending fate, the stronger he will get.” A beat. “You’re too strong to kill, so that is already out of the question. Warren, the moment you say yes, all of the pain will end and your Horseman will be cut off from the growing pain, making him weaker. I’ll heal your wounds, enhance your powers, and even erase some memories of your time here. So what do you say?”  
Warren felt tears slowly leak from his eyes. There was no way that he was going to get out of this situation being himself. After all, Apocalypse always gets what he wants. The Horseman may take over his body, but his mind was still stronger than any of them gave him credit for. He had to try to fight the intruder… for his friends.  
“...Okay.”  
“What? I’m sorry, I couldn’t-”  
“I said okay!! But know this, the moment I free myself from the your slave’s hold, I’m going to be pissed…”  
“Save all of that rage for him, will you?”  
Apocalypse placed his hand on top of Warren’s head. Repeating the same chant he sang to the others, he unstrapped the mutant from the table and watched him examine his surroundings. Warren’s blue eyes faded and instantly were replaced with yellow, pupil-less eyes.  
“Fantastic. Oh, I almost forgot!”  
Apocalypse moved to the mutant’s back and placed both of his hands on two open wounds that stood as reminders of the mutant’s beautiful, white wings. After a couple of seconds of concentration, new wings slowly began to grow back into place. This time, however, the wings were now made with grey adamantium. Each feather was cold, hard, sharp, and indestructible. The width of his wings almost doubled, meaning that nearly thirty feet of space was taken up if the wings were to expand. The once beautiful Angel was now an archangel. The possessed mutant examined his gift before bowing his head in gratitude.  
“Thank you, En Sabah Nur.”  
Apocalypse smiled and turned to others, who were watching the scene unfold. “Gentlemen, I present to you the final ingredient. Say hello to Death.”

 **(July 14, 1983. 10:20 AM)**  
Erik groaned and slowly peeled his eyes open. He was greeted by a blurry Charles Xavier, who was sitting by his bedside. He could briefly see waves of relief wash over those famous blue eyes.  
“Hello my friend, welcome back to the land of the living.”  
“How… long?”  
“Around three days. The spider’s venom, as well as your body’s demand rest after your attack, kept you under all of this time. It was really close… too close in fact. Thankfully, this gentlemen took the liberty to find a cure for the venom.”  
The metal-bender weakly rubbed his eyes to clear his vision. Taking a second look at Charles, he realized that there was another presence in the room. An unfamiliar brunette was sitting on the windowsill masterfully shuffling play cars. Tore his eyes from the deck and stared the bedridden mutant. Erik watched the man’s eyes change from confusion to confirmation and amusement. Erik removed his eyes from the stranger and stared at the ceiling in order to try to remember how he ended up in this position. After a couple of moments, the memories --  Pietro’s death, Apocalypse's intrusion, Logan and Raven’s attack, the feeling of being burnt alive, Pietro’s possession, and collapsing in the corridor -- relentlessly attacked him. The now distressed mutant’s breathing became hitched, hurting his ribs. Unknown to him, all of the metal in the room began to shake. His friend’s calm voice broke him out of his trance.  
“Easy Erik. Calm your mind. You’re safe and-”  
“He took him.”  
“Erik-”  
“He took Pietro!!”  
Charles sent waves of serenity and calmness into his friend’s scrambled mind, hoping that he’ll calm down before he brought the entire mansion down. After a couple of soothing words and projections, Erik calmed down and looked at Charles sadly.  
“I can’t believe I let that bastard take him!!”  
“What happened down there-”  
“Wasn’t my fault?! Please Charles, even you can’t believe that!”  
“Erik, his appearance was unannounced and unforeseen!”  
“After all of that talk about Horsemen, how could I have been so blind?”  
“My friend, Apocalypse’s plans are far more complicated than he leads us to believe. Even I can’t break apart every single detail he’s formulated. We need to get more information before- Erik what are you doing?”  
“You have eyes; what does it look like I’m doing?”  
As the snarky remark left his mouth, Erik sat up in an attempt to get out of the bed. He instantly regretted it. His ribs and head screamed in protest, almost causing him to fall back onto the mattress. A steady pair of hands gripped his bare shoulders.  
“Don’t overexert yourself, Erik. You need to let your body recover from the attack. Here…”  
A glass of water was pressed into his hands. He wolfed it all down in three large gulps, earning him a small chuckle from the stranger. Once he was done, he leaned back against the headboard and rubbed his temple.  
“I need to get him back.”  
“I know… and we will all help you in anyways we can. However, we have to be smart and calculate our plans more carefully. For now, you need to take it easy. Let’s start from the beginning: what happened back there?”  
“The mutant named Apocalypse broke into the little lab you have down there, talked about stuff  regardin’ forgiveness and hate, let his little puppets beat the shit outta your friend here, took the silver-haired one, and left.”  
Charles and Erik snapped their heads to man, who was still sitting on the windowsill and playing with his cards. They both looked surprised by the sudden outburst of information.  
“I’m sorry, but who are you?”  
“I’m the man whose ass y’all should be kissin’.” Gambit moved from his seat and began to walk around the room, his eyes never leaving Erik’s. “That nasty spider bite you got on your hand was poisonous. It contained bits of oleander, lab concoctions, and actual spider venom. Considerin’ that you were beaten to hell, the poison didn’t really help your recovery. While you were out, I got the cure a while ago and-”  
“How?”  
“I knew a guy. I came back here in the nick of time and look at you now, alive and breathin’. Your friend’s right; you still ain’t one hundred percent yet, so you should take it easy for a while.”  
“Well...you have my gratitude.”  
“Sure…” Gambit made his way towards the door. “Look, I’ll let you two catch up and do whatever it is you do. We’ll talk tomorrow.”  
“Talk? We’ve only just met and we already have something urgent to talk about?”  
“Damn right. Just ask your friend over there.”  
Charles spoke up. “...Well anyway, thank you Gambit. Your assistance is-”  
“Heard you the first time, monsieur. Au revoir!”  
  
After Gambit left the room, the pair of friends stared at each other. Both men tried to gather their thoughts and words, but ultimately failed. These past couple of days, they both have suffered physical and emotional wounds following their trip to Egypt. And they haven’t received any proper time to recover due to the sudden intrusion and quick collapse of society. And to top it all off, one of them was comatose for three days while the other one had to spend countless hours gathering information for a stranger about another stranger. This was the first day both of them had a brief moment to recover and reflect… they just didn’t know how to start it off. Eventually, it was Erik who kicked off the conversation,  
“Are you alright?”  
“The man who almost succumbed to his wounds and spider venom asks me if I’m okay? How thoughtful of him! In all seriousness, I’m perfectly fine. I’m just relieved to see you awake and on the mend.” A beat. “Erik, I’m so sorry about what happened to you and Pietro back there. I’m sorry I wasn’t by your side to-”  
“I’m glad you weren’t there. Knowing Apocalypse, he could’ve hurt you and all of the kids. By the way, How are Jean and Dallas?”  
“They are fine. Jean and I talked for a while and she apparently has some interesting facts about En Sabah Nur.”  
“What are you talking about? She wasn’t in the room with me so she couldn’t have possibly heard anything he was saying. Also, I thought that he was a tele-”  
“He’s not. His intelligence and superhuman strength give him immense willpower, giving him to power to create mental barriers strong enough to block even the strongest telepath or mind-reading machine, like Cerebro. According to her, there were a few seconds during your confrontation that she did access his mind which gave her the opportunity to steal his most painful and shameful memories. Do you have any idea how that could’ve happened?”  
“I have not the slightest… Well I’ll damned.”  
“What?”  
“Remember the serum Pietro stole back in the Providence Research Lab that we ended up risking our lives to duplicate? Well, in a fit of rage I injected a portion of it in Apocalypse and he lost it. He was struggling to keep himself composed and ended up having to shift back into his mutant form in order to fight off the effects. Charles, the serum worked! We now have an upper-hand in this battle, what with his repressed memories and this serum.”  
“Don’t get too cocky, my friend. It’s true that we may have a slight advantage, but we can’t charge blindly into battle… look what that ended up costing us.”  
While Erik nodded in agreement, Charles could see his friend’s eyes begin to droop from exhaustion. He smiled and patted Erik’s blanket-covered knee.  
“Get some rest. We’ll talk more about this tomorrow with our guest.”  
“Why is he here?”  
“Because I made a deal with him…”  
“A what? Oh Charles, you didn’t...”  
“It wasn’t anything major! He agreed to get the cure in exchange for some information about a certain mutate named Nathaniel Essex.”  
“What could he possibly want from that man?”  
“I think I have an idea or two… I’ll let you rest some more.” Charles began to wheel himself away from Erik’s bedside.  
“Charles? Thank you… for taking care of me while I was out.”  
“How did you know it was me? It could’ve been Hank or Alex or any other student here.”  
“I could feel your presence.”  
Charles smiled and was about to leave the room, but the sound of a news broadcast caught his attention. He and Erik watched news reports cover the destruction of San Francisco. While the absolute devastation and chaos would've captivated any viewer, Erik's attention was towards Pietro, his possessed son.  
In the blink of an eye, Pietro charged from an abandoned tank to a skyscraper nearly twenty miles away. As he ran, he left a trail of bodies that were once living officers with families and futures. Pietro would instantly snap their necks and send the bodies flying in multiple directions. He also manipulated any bullet that came his way and changed their trajectory so they would hit other officers and innocent bystanders who were trying to flee the scene. His blood-soaked outfit from before was now replaced with dark grey pants, which were covered by leg armor. He not wore a long-sleeved grey shirt, made from carbon fiber material, which was overlapped by chest armor and forearm containing kevlar and adamantium. The armor had built-in knife holders that continued a variety of knives made from a variety of elements -- steel, wood, plastic, glass, and more. He also wore kevlar shoulder pads that absorbed any blow his made against his opponent. From what Erik could tell, Pietro wore some kind of knuckle duster underneath his gloves, amplifying the fatality of his blows. Finally, his converse sneakers were replaced with black combat boots. However, despite Pietro's dark look, there were hints of silver that outlined his outfit and armor, providing bystanders a glimpse of the mutant before their demise.  
Soon enough, amateur photographers managed to capture glimpses of Pietro, as well as Logan and Raven. Their armor was very similar, except royal blue outlined her outfit, and bright yellow outlined Logan's. All and all, it was the devastating sight of watching their friends and loved one being forced to create so much chaos and destruction that saddened both Erik and Charles. Their mission to save all three of them just got complicated.  
“Look up in the sky!” someone shouted.  
The camera operator turned the camera upwards, revealing the new and improved Angel, His metal wings cut through street signs, cars, and bodies with ease. He swooped down -- injuring and even decapitating dozens of bystanders in the process-- and grabbed the camera that was filming. It was lifted up hundreds of feet in less than five seconds and rested in Angel’s hands. The screams of horror and pain were silenced as Angel flew higher and higher. The overview of the ruined city was presented to any viewer watching TV to see. After a few seconds, the camera was simple let go and eventually crashed onto a car, disrupting the signal. Erik and Charles glanced at each other, unsure of what to say. Charles finally spoke up.  
“We’ll get them back… That I promise you.”  
Charles wheeled himself out of Erik’s room. The images of Pietro, now War’s meat suit, still lingered in his mind. As he laid back down on his bed, he made a silent promise that he would free his son and defeat Apocalypse and all his allies… or die trying.

 **(July 15, 1983. 07:50 AM)**  
The sound of cards shuffling was the first thing that greeted Erik when he woke up. The British mutant slowly sat up, minding his injured chest, and saw the stranger from yesterday playing with another deck of cards, his dark eyes never leaving Erik’s. Before Erik could ask questions, Gambit began.  
“For the last decade, I’ve tried to track you down. Ever since your little stunt in DC, your life’s had a bounty...a mighty fine bounty that everyone wanted to claim. For months, I’ve followed you around, calculatin’ every damn move you made, waitin’ for the perfect moment to strike.”  
“So what’s keeping you from claiming that bounty now?”  
Gambit stood up and made his way over to the windowsill he occupied yesterday. He smiled at the bedridden mutant before he put his cards back into his pocket. He was about to speak when Charles came wheeling into the room with a big smile plastered on his face and dozens of folders, as well as books, on his lap.  
“Good morning, gentlemen! I hope you all slept well. So let’s jump right into this shall we?”  
Gambit carried over a small coffee table and placed it right at the side of Erik’s bed. Charles wheeled himself to the table and placed all of the books and files onto the wooden surface. Gambit must’ve seemed a little too eager because when he picked up a file and scanned it, he saw Charles and Erik giving him looks of confusion, surprise, and some amusement.  
“Je suis desole.”  
“Nothing to apologize for, my friend. Happens to the best of us who get excited, anxious, angry...or worried.”  
“What do you mean by that?”  
Charles sighed and pulled out the same newspaper clipping Remy saw three days ago. An audible swallow and curse could be heard. Gambit dropped everything and began to read the story. Erik could see regret, betrayal, and anger in the man’s eyes. He himself is no stranger to those looks or feelings. He also couldn’t help but notice that his pale fingertips and brown eyes were slowly turned fuchsia.  
“You’re one of us… So, what’s your-”  
Erik’s question was cut off when the newspaper clipping was folded multiple times, engulfed in what he assumed was static energy, and tossed at a small bookshelf. The section that the paper hit instantly exploded, obliterating some books along with the article. Surviving books fell from their place on the shelf, the sound filling the silent and tense environment. Gambit glared at the damage he created before turning to the other two mutants. While Charles looked like a confused and slightly scared puppy, Erik was staring at the bookshelf in fascination and amusement. He turned to Remy, who had calmed down and turned back to his regular look.  
“Brilliant!”  
“Pardon?”  
“You have an incredible gift, young man. Your powers seem very similar to the Summer brothers’.”  
“Oh yeah, those two. Ain’t gonna lie, the younger one ain’t the brightest nor rebellious one… teacher’s pet if you ask me.”  
“Still, unlike those two, you can transmit your kinetic energy into any object you please! That is amazing.”  
“Je tu remercie pour vos aimables paroles. It wasn’t always like this though… struggled to control my powers for quite some time.”  
“How so?”  
“Never had a mere or pere growin’ up…”  
“What a coincidence,” Charles mumbled, glancing over to Erik.  
“Raised by The Thieves’ Guild, where I was given the name 'Le Diable Blanc', a name that has acted as a second identity so to speak. I was suppose to unite The Thieves’ with The Assassins’ Guild and create a peace treaty that would end their rivalry.”  
“Why?”  
“ ‘Cordin’ to The Thieves’, it was prophesied… ain’t that a holler or what? Aw man, did I love bein’ with The Guild. They taught me everythin’ I needed to know to survive, from lockpickin’ to tailin’ a target, all the way to combat skills and escapin’ tight situations. And boy did those lessons pay off well. I mean, look at this place. I managed to track and monitor your friend here for nearly six months without any one of y’all finding me.”  
“Did you take anything?”  
“ ‘Member that pocketwatch in Hairy Blue-Ball’s laboratory that was just sittin’ in plain sight for a week?” Before they could respond, Remy pulled out Hank’s pocketwatch from his coat pocket and tossed it to Charles. “Damn thing broke yesterday. I also took some loose change, a book-weight, binoculars, and a map.”  
“A map? Why?”  
“ ‘Cause I need it to track someone down.”  
“Sinister,” Charles finished. “If you don’t me asking, why are you so interested in that man...or human mutate.”  
“You’re a mind reader, ain’t you? You could just pull all of the answers outta my mind.”  
“I don’t ever enter someone’s mind without their consent unless I or anyone else is in a dire situation.”  
“...I respect that code of yours.”  
“Code?”  
“Damn right. Everyone must have some morals or a code they stick to, no matter what. Yours seems pretty fair… Besides, even if you don't search my mind, I’m assumin’ that you’ve read the article I destroyed accidentally on purpose. So why are you askin’ me a question you probably already have the answer to?”  
“Because I want to hear your side of the story in your own words. No matter how accurate or detailed a newspaper article is, the real truth lies within the heart and soul of the witness. So please, in your own words, can you tell us what happened back there?”  
Gambit ran a hand through his fluffy brown hair, unsure of how to proceed. On the one hand, he actually liked these folks...with the exception of Scott. Unlike other acquaintances, they weren’t bothered by his destructive power, cocky attitude, or nomadic lifestyle. Whenever he took off by himself, every time he came back he was greeted as if he was a part of their family. Charles and Erik also seemed like good people, even if one of them declared war against mankind. He respected Erik’s pride and ability to see greatness, while also appreciating the kindness and selflessness Charles showered on him and the other occupants. Then again, it wasn’t really any of their business about his private life. He may like these guys, but he didn’t exactly trust them. With Erik’s history and Charles’ intruding powers, they could use this information as leverage or blackmail, something he’s been a victim of plenty of times… Eventually, he decided that the information Charles needed, which would ultimately help him track down Sinister, was much more important than his own fears and pride. He nodded and began his tale.  
“While I was spendin’ time tryin’ to fulfill that prophecy, I was employed by Mister Sinister himself, who at the time went by Nathaniel Essex. He made me and members of The Thieves’ Guild steal countless confidential documents and secrets, includin’ his diaries the Weapon X Program stole. When I got the journals, I knew that the amount of power and secrets within 'em could easily corrupt anyone who read them, especially Essex. So I burned 'em all, which only made The Thieves’ and Essex furious. It was around this time when I was also strugglin’ with my powers. Although the lengths and strength my abilities had quickly grew, my ability to control 'em was non-existent. For a very long time, I kept my powers suppressed from those I cared about. It was after my wedding when my wife’s brother became jealous and challenged me to a duel to the death. In self-defense I killed him, leadin' to the end of my relationship with wife and long-term friend as well as my exile from New Orleans.”  
“Why would the death of your wife’s brother end up costing you your home?”  
“I forgot to mention that her brother was the grandson of the Head of the Assassins’ Guild. I managed to kill someone, lose my wife, lose The Thieves’ Guild, break the prophecy, and get exiled from my home within a single day… gotta admit, that’s kinda impressive if you ask me. Anyhow, I was strugglin’ with my powers even more. And the fact that I was now alone didn’t really help my situation. Eventually, I turned to Essex, who promised me that he’d help control my abilities…through a lobotomy-like procedure. He temporarily removed parts of my brain tissue, reducin’ my power level and givin’ me more control over 'em. The methods used to return those brain tissues is a story for another day. I eventually trained myself on how to control and distribute energy more effectively and easily. Anyhow, one day Essex came up to me and-”  
“Asked you for a favor because he helped you during your time of need,” Erik concluded.  
“Yes sir. He gave me a list of names, specifically mutant's names, and wanted me to recruit 'em all. I spent weeks and weeks trackin’ 'em down and, eventually, the little group became known as ‘The Marauders’ . Once I finally got 'em all together, Essex told me to lead 'em down to the sewers in New York City. If I had known that I was leadin’ a group of assassins and murderers to their prey, I wouldn’t have obeyed him, even if it ended up costin’ me my life. I led 'em to The Morlocks, ‘nother group of mutants and they were instantly slaughtered… by the men I recruited and led. ‘Cause of me, innocent mutants were killed or severely injured.” After a tense pause, Gambit sadly smiled. “I managed to save one girl… just one. I brought her to safety, ditched The Marauders, and have been alone since. Bein’ alone gave me a lot of time to reflect. Up until recently, when I heard that Sinister was teamin’ up with Apocalypse, I never actually felt the weight of my actions and the impact they’ve had on the lives of others. I thought I was doin’ somethin’ right and I end up hurtin' lots of innocent people whose lives are probably now ruined ‘cause of me.”  
While Gambit continued to muse, Erik couldn’t stop the pinches of guilt that continued to pester him. Just like Gambit, he not only grew up without parents, he also had to become his own mentor and voice of reason, which ended up setting off a series of unfortunate events. His actions in Cuba and DC, which were all fueled by mutant pride, ended up costing him his friend’s sister and legs, his son’s family and life, and the lives of countless others. He didn’t think about the others who were affected by his words and actions… Although he was still a headstrong man, he began to think that Apocalypse was right: if he somehow got his son and Raven back, there was no way in hell they would forgive him. His thoughts were cut off by Charles’ hand placed gently on his knee, squeezing it for reassurance and comfort. Erik tried his hardest to smile in appreciation, but he found himself looking at his bedsheets in shame. He didn’t notice Gambit looking at him with more sympathy and understanding.  
“Since the massacre, I’ve tried to track Sinister down and make him pay for what he did. I also spent my time tryin’ to help those who needed help. I stole from the rich and gave whatever I took to the poor, kinda like Robin Hood. I befriended a sadistic doctor who worked at the Provident Research Lab, stole a bunch of his supplies, and spent months waitin' for the moment to avenge those he'd hurt so for long. And his ties with Apocalypse and Sinister was like a bonus to me. There's a reason why I was huntin’ you for so long, Erik. Lot of people wanted your head on a silver-platter and I wanted to avenge those who were affected by your speech in DC ten years ago. I tracked you down and followed you here, where I continued to monitor you all while takin’ a couple of things in the process... sorry ‘bout that Charles.”  
“So why didn’t you kill me in my sleep? Why didn’t you let me succumb to my wounds and the venom?”  
“ ‘Cause I saw a different side of you I didn’t expect to see -- a redeemin’ side so to speak. You ain’t a tough man ‘round the kids or the adults. You’re a lot different than everyone, 'cludin' myself, pictured. Monsieur, you and I both screwed up big time and there ain’t nothin’ that says so otherwise. But that doesn’t mean that we can’t fix our mistakes. Throughout my time on the road, I've been identified as many degrading things -- a freak, a killer, a thief. But then I realized somethin’ that applies to everyone, 'cludin' you: your past doesn’t define who you are...the way you act in the present does. I’m tryin’ to help those in need as well as bringin’ Sinister to justice, and you seem to be connectin’ with the students and friends, tryin’ to make things right again while also stoppin' the big baddie. Tryin’ to make things right is better than doin’ nothin’ at all.”  
Erik and Charles were surprised by the amount of wisdom this mutant had. Both men have said and done some pretty awful things to each other and the people around them -- some innocent bystanders and others their close friends. And although the impact their actions may be long-lasting, that doesn’t mean that they couldn’t do anything to fix their mistakes.  
“Well, thank you for your cooperation, Gambit. My friend and I are deeply sorry about everything you were put through and will be willing to help you in any way you can.”  
“You already did, monsieur. Well, up to a certain point that is. If you want, we can talk tomorrow or whenever you feel like talkin'. Looks like your friend needs some rest and-”  
“I’ve been resting for four days straight now.”  
“Last I checked, bein’ comatose doesn’t count as rest.” Gambit stood up, shook both of their hands, and was about to leave Erik’s room when he stopped. “Hey Erik, can I ask you somethin'?”  
“Sure.”  
“Why is that silver-haired speedster Apocalypse took so important to you? I mean, you both seemed to be gettin' along real well, but then again so does everyone here. What makes him so special? And forgive me if I'm comin' across as rude or intrusive. That ain't my intention at all.”  
“That silver-haired speedster is my son. He’s one of the many people that I’ve hurt badly, on multiple occasions, and who I was trying to make amends with. When almost all of the amends were made with him and we grew closer, he was killed by Pestilence and now… now he’s possessed by War, killing thousands of people, and seen as a terrorist. When Apocalypse took him from me, I felt like I failed him as a protector and father... still do in fact.”  
“I’m sorry ‘bout your loss. I truly am. But, to be fair, not everybody's lucky enough to have a father like yourself, a man who sees his errors and tries to make amends. I know I ain't one of those lucky ones. You're tryin' to get him back, right? So you haven't failed as a father at all, and he'll know that when you get him back."  
"And how do you know that we'll get him back and end this nightmare?"  
" 'Cause I'm gonna help y'all take those bastards down and bring back your son... and I'm a man of my word, remember?"  
Before Erik and Charles could thank the mutant, he was out of the room. Once he was completely gone, Erik lied back down and sighed.  
“Well that went well.”  
“I couldn’t agree more.”  
“Do you trust his sudden alliance?”  
“Yeah I do. Do you?”  
“Probably will take some time, but I’m willing to tru- Charles, where’d my watch go?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I realized with Gambit's language that some things are replaced/pronounced/written a specific way (eg. th=d). Due to the lack of time, I'm not going to include all of that extra grammar. I hope you all hear his accent in your head while reading this story because I think that helps characterize and understand him a little bit better. 
> 
> Questions/Comments/Concerns/Insults/Thoughts of love??? Feel free to write them in the comments!!!
> 
> Take Care and Party Hard :0)


	27. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all :0)
> 
> It's been a while! Because I have to travel an hour to and from my work place every day, I haven't had a lot of time to write new material and publish it. Also, I struggled with this chapter a lot :/ Thanks for the patience :D
> 
> Warning: Grammatical/Spelling errors and possibly slight OOC-ness!!
> 
> I hope you enjoy!!!!

**(July 15, 1983. 7:30 PM)**  
“You a bettin’ man?”  
“Not really…”  
“Well you will be. Sit.”  
Scott looked at the artful mutant masterfully shuffle a deck of playing cards in front of him. He watched every card perfectly slide into place before being carelessly yet gracefully thrown onto the table. Before he could decide whether or not to accept the bet, he felt a hand roughly pat him on the back.  
“You got this, Scotty.”  
He turned around and saw Alex, Orono, and Jean staring at him with anticipation. Originally, his brother’s words of either encouragement or discouragement drive him away from what were ultimately his decisions. However, the fact that Jean was staring and smiling at him automatically erased any signs of reluctance. He nodded to himself before sitting across from Gambit, who was patiently waiting for him to make a decision.  
“Your move, monsieur.”  
Throughout what would eventually be four matches of Spit, Alex and Jean kept encouraging Scott’s confidence… and quietly giggled when Scott lost every single match.  
“That’s game … again. You now owe me twenty dollars. You’re damn lucky you got ‘em powers of yours ‘cause-”  
“Shut up…”  
Scott was afraid to meet Jean’s eyes due to embarrassment but was surprised by the sudden presence of her hand that now rested on his shoulder. He smiled at the gesture and turned to Gambit, who was carelessly shuffling his cards.  
“Last round. Winner takes all.”  
“You sure ‘bout that? I’d hate to make a poor boy cry.”  
"Don't worry, your face causes all the pain and depression I need for one day."  
“Finally grew a pair, huh? Alrighty, you’re on.”  
With the exception of Dallas and Charles, the remaining mutants eventually joined in the gambling session that was taking place. The division between supporters of Scott and Gambit was surprisingly easy. While Layla, Jean, Orono, Hank, Kurt and Alex sided with the younger Summer, the remaining mutants supported Gambit, evening out the field. They even put some of their own money on the table. Meanwhile, Charles and Dallas were sitting in front of the fireplace playing a game of chess. Or rather, Charles was teaching the boy simple tricks and moves each piece was capable of. Eventually, the game died down and the pair ended up quietly slipping out of the main living room that was now considered a gambling room.

With Dallas on his lap, Charles wheeled himself down the empty corridor until he reached Erik’s room. To their surprise, the covers on his bed were hanging carelessly off the bed. He also noticed a couple of things missing from their original place: his sweater, slippers, the infamous helmet, and the purple bunny. When the brief sting of anxiety died down, Charles began to quickly list all of the places Erik could be in his current state.  
“Where did Erik go?”  
“I’m not entirely sure, Dallas. But I think I have a couple of ideas.”  
“... Do you think Erik’s going to leave us too?”  
“Where did you get an idea like that?”  
“You told me before that he once left you because he was trying to pursue a dream of his, right? Do you think he’ll leave you again to kill Apocalypse?”  
“I wouldn’t be surprised if he did decide to leave us… but he and I both know that we need to stick together and keep you kids safe.”  
“You don’t know that. I just don’t want another member of our family to leave us. I mean, Gambit could leave us at any moment, Warren was taken from us, Logan wasn’t really here this entire time, Pete was killed, and Erik nearly died as well!”  
“Dallas-”  
“I don’t want to lose anyone else!!”  
Charles wrapped his arms around the upset boy and pulled him against his chest. He mentally reached out the boy, gathered any thoughts or memories that would agitate him in, and wrapped it up in a warm blanket so to speak. Although he absolutely hated seeing Dallas in such a state, he was slightly relieved that this breakdown took place. Since Egypt and Erik’s confrontation, Charles rarely paid attention to the students’ mental state. His worry for Erik and Raven, as well as grief for Pietro, consumed him and he ended up forcing Hank and Alex to take care of the students. Gambit’s sudden appearance and request only threw him off track even more. Waves of guilt washed over the telepath, nearly causing him to shed a couple of tears as well, but he stayed firm and continued to comfort the poor boy.  
“You should let him know how you’re feeling before he decides to act irrationally.”  
“He won’t care.”  
“Don’t ever doubt your voice and the power it holds. Listen here, Erik may be an egotistical machine who disregards any forms of criticism, but he has a heart. I know that he’ll be willing to listen to your fears and concerns. After all, he did listen to his technically estranged son, so why would you be any different?”  
For a brief moment, Charles was able to touch Erik’s mind before he was blocked out again. Those four seconds of exposure provided gave the telepath the metal-bender’s location. He smiled to himself before addressing Dallas.  
“I managed to track down Erik. Do you want to have a word with him?” A nod. “Excellent. I’ll have your back in case don’t go according to plan. Before I give you his location I have to ask you, are you afraid of heights?”

 **(July 15, 1983. 7:45 PM)**  
Erik sat on top of the satellite dish, clutching the purple bunny and watching the sun slowly set. The journey up here took a lot of energy out of him but he didn’t regret it. Right when he woke up, he was confronted by two things: the realization that his son was still gone and an assassin-thief who originally wanted to claim his life. Immediately after their discussion with Gambit, he received constant visits from the students who bombarded him with questions. Even after they left, Charles continued to hover over him like a drone. Erik now knew how Pietro felt after the DC attack. As much as he appreciated everyone’s concern, he just needed some peace and-  
  
“Erik?”  
The British mutant jumped in surprise and snapped his head towards the sudden voice. He must’ve raised his hopes too high because when he heard footsteps clomping against the metal ladder to reach the top, he automatically thought his son was the one greeting him. The hope in his eyes dramatically toned down when he saw Dallas climbing up the ladder, replacing what would’ve been Pietro. He sighed before turning back to the sunset. The younger mutant carefully made his way next to the metal-bender, unsure of how to proceed. Erik broke him out of his thoughts.  
“I assume Charles sent you to spy on me.”  
“W-What? No he didn’t.”  
“Then why are you here?!”  
“I just… I just wanted to see you. I-I can go if you w-”  
“No Dallas, you can stay if you want. Forgive me if I raised my voice a little too much. Just don’t go telling your friends about this spot, okay?”  
“Why?”  
“This place is special to me. Some of my happiest memories took place right here and I want to preserve their significance without the presence of others tainting them.”  
“Have any other people been up here besides you and me?”  
“Charles and Hank went up here once upon a time. We pushed a student off the dish one time.”  
“Really? You’re not going to push me off, are you?”  
“Yes and absolutely not.”  
Dallas smiled, nudged slightly closer to the older mutant, and looked back at the sunset. Meanwhile, Erik’s gaze now traveled to the purple bunny placed in his hands. Every time he looked at the bunny, it brought back painful memories of the night Anya perished and the night he met Pietro for the first time.

 _“I see your wandering eyes have finally noticed this little gem.”_  
_As soon as Erik took out the stuffed bunny from his coat pocket, the baby in his lap let out a squeal of excitement before wildly clapping his hands and kicking his legs._  
_“An eager boy, I’ll give you that. Alright, here you go little one.”_  
_Erik gently placed the toy in his son’s awaiting arms. To his surprise, the baby quickly snatched the bunny from his hand and pulled it into a tight hug. The older mutant smiled down at his son, taking in the innocence and joy this baby possessed at such a young age. He felt his heart melt when the baby in his lap let out a small yawn before tugging the toy closer to his chest._  
_“Pietro Django Eisenhardt, my beautiful son. Nicht einmal ändern…”_  
_As if he understood what the older mutant was saying, Pietro looked up and let out a tiny smile before abandoning the bunny and snuggled against his father’s chest, pressing his tiny ear against Erik’s beating heart. The little sigh that escaped his lips nearly brought tears to Erik’s eyes. He pushed them back and began to slowly stroke his son’s unnatural white hair, knowing that he’ll probably never experience this beautiful moment ever again._

“Erik?”  
He snapped back to the present and looked at Dallas, who was sheepishly staring up at him. For a brief second, Erik thought that he was staring down at his baby son before shaking his head to rid himself of the memory.  
“What is it?”  
“Are you going to abandon us?”  
“What are you talking about?”  
“I-I know that you want to hurt Apocalypse after what he did to Pete. But… well, Charles told me about a time when you wanted to hurt someone who hurt your family long ago.”  
“It looks like I need to have a long talk with him about discussing personal stories to students without my consent.”  
“Y-You left Charles and other students to get revenge on people who hurt mutants like us… are you going to leave us to get revenge on Apocalypse?”  
Erik sighed and pulled the boy closer towards him. Dallas leaned against Erik’s left bicep and unconsciously snuggled closer to Erik’s side. The British mutant sighed, ruffled the boy’s hair, and lowered his head so that his eyes would meet the boy’s.  
“Listen to me, as much as I would love to make that monster suffer, my main priority at the moment is keeping you and the others safe… even if I couldn’t keep my own son safe. I would never compromise your lives for the satisfaction of revenge. When life doesn’t deliver what you hope for, sometimes you just need to be patient and focus on the present. I will get them back and confront Apocalypse, but right now my devotion is to you all and ensure your safety.”  
The younger mutant released a smile that he reflected on emotions he hasn’t felt since Egypt: happiness and hope. He looked back out into the distance, embracing Erik’s words.  
“I miss him…” Dallas whispered.  
  
Erik was briefly thrown to the night he and Pietro sat in front of the fireplace with their stories, vulnerability, and hearts laid on a table only the two of them shared.   
 _“I miss them so much.”_  
_“I know… I miss them too.”_

“I miss him too… but I promise that we’re going to get him back. And that’s a promise I refuse to break.”  
“Ain’t this a sight for sore eyes.”  
The two mutants snapped their heads and saw Gambit standing behind them, eying them with sympathy and warmth. He shoved a fifty dollar bill into his fingerless gloves.  
“Scotty lost the bet… again. Gotta admit though, that kid’s gettin’ tougher every day. Who knows, maybe one day he’ll grow a pair and ask Jean out.”  
“What are you doing here?”  
“Professor told me that you were havin’ a nice conversation and he didn’t wanna interrupt this bondin’ moment… so he sent me to interrupt it. You two might wanna come back down and watch the news. ‘Pparently Sabah’s cookin’ somethin’ big.”  
Erik looked down at Dallas before standing up and motioning the boy to his back. Dallas stared at the older mutant as if he’d grown a third eye, earning him a snort from Gambit.  
“Get on. We’ll levitate down towards the mansion. It’ll be faster than climbing down that dreadful ladder.”  
“You can fly?”  
“In some ways. Come on.”  
Dallas jumped onto Erik’s back excitedly, accidentally putting too much pressure on his injured back. The British mutant winced in pain but quickly covered it up so the boy wouldn’t worry over him. While they were hovering down, Gambit stared down at the pair, slightly envious of the small relationship forming between the two.

 **(July 15, 1983. 8:10 PM)**  
“We have some breaking news coming to you from the studio. We seem to be receiving a video from an anonymous source.”  
By the time the trio reunited with the rest, everyone was gather around the TV with anticipation. Dallas jumped off of Erik’s back and ran to sit next to Orono while Erik leaned heavily against Charles’ wheelchair, much to the telepath’s concern.  
“Are you okay?”  
“Never better. But we do need have a discussion about what you can and cannot share with the students involving my personal affairs.”  
In an instant, Apocalypse’s blue and grey face appeared on the screen. Behind him stood Pietro, Raven, and Logan with their weapons drawn. Erik didn’t know which made him madder: the sight of those adamantium claws that killed his son, or the sight of Raven and Pietro possessed by Horsemen. He moved closer to the television and felt his mouth drop agape when he saw Shaw standing from the far left corner of the screen.  
“Damn.”  
“Jesus Christ, will that bastard ever die?” Alex chimed in.  
“Tomorrow, ladies and gentlemen, will be the day when the cycle will finally break. For centuries, you’re fear and paranoia of the unfamiliar --foreigners, mutants, mutates, and more -- has driven you to believe that they are responsible for all of your troubles. That belief ignited hatred inside of you that was never discovered by yourself. That hatred prompted acts of mass violence against your own kind. Those who didn’t identify with you became the targets and victims of your own wrath. Millions of innocent men, women, and children perished because paranoia, pride, and hatred blinded you. You’ve claimed that we, mutants, are the enemy during this bleak time in history… yet you never took into consideration who the real monsters are. The domestic violence completely overshadowed the foreign violence you all were so keen on destroying. I’m here to end it all -- the hate, death, oppression, paranoia, arrogance, and discrimination. Citizens of New York City --the prime symbol of progress, greed, and hope -- will have twelve hours to repent their sins, hide in the safest corners, and reunite with their loved ones. Starting tomorrow, you all will know what true fear feels like. Starting tomorrow, the world as you know it will cease to exist. And if anyone tries to rebel against me, then they’ll be forced to confront my army.”  
The camera, who everyone assumed was being held by Angel, rose into the air and revealed a sight that no one ever wanted to see. Hundreds of mutants, possessed by Apocalypse, stood behind their leader and stared directly into the camera, their green eyes glowing like fireflies in the night sky.   
“That explains what happened to the missing mutants,” Charles muttered.  
The camera dropped back down to Apocalypse’s face. “Before I go, I want to address a group of mutants currently residing in the Xavier Mansion in Westchester, New York.” Everyone in the living room froze in fear, anger, and confusion. “Xavier’s army, I advise you all to stay where you are unless you want a death wish. If you decide to cross paths with me and my Horsemen, do not expect an easy match. I don’t care how old or gifted you all are. Once we cross paths, our truth wrath will be released. And Mr Lehnsherr, if you decide to confront me personally, the last thing you’ll see is your son getting his guts pulled out of his mouth. Do not cross us.”

The video feed shut off, leaving everyone --news anchors, crew members, and viewers -- in utter silence. Charles could hear the rage and fear each student felt. Even fearless adults like Erik, Hank, Alex, and Gambit shedded their own rage and despondency. The telepath also expressed his concern for his students and friends. They all had their hands tied behind their backs. No matter what they did, lives would be lost and their own privacy and safety will become compromise. Following the address, the world was now looking at them and hoping that they would become the saviors they needed in this bleak hour. He couldn’t stop the annoyance that crept through his veins. After endless discrimination and hatred, humans decided now that mutants had value and importance. He was beginning to see truly see why Erik despised humans so much. Gambit’s voice broke the silence.  
“I’ve got a plan. Y’all may not like it but it’s somethin’.”  
“What did you have in mind, Gambit?”  
“I’m gonna head back into the city and get some people out of there before the hell-storm begins.”  
“How will-”  
“Sewers. ‘Fore the massacre, Sinister had me memorize all of New York’s sewage lines which eventually helped me track down The Murlocks. Plus, I’ve traveled down those tunnels plenty of times. I know the lines inside and out. I could get people out of the city and get ‘em somewhere safe. I was also thinkin’ that a couple of your students could come along with me, preferably your more powerful ones. While we are gettin’ people out, the rest of y’all would be confrontin’ his little minions and tryin’ to snap ‘em outta whatever spell he’s got ‘em on. My group would eventually meet up with the rest.”  
“We’re not compromising the student’s lives for-”  
“Monsieur, no matter what we do, Sabah is gonna confront and kill us all. We can’t just sit here and do nothin’. Trust me, I’ve done that before and it only makes things worse. You wanna to show people that our kind is the better man, correct? Now’s the time to do so…”  
Charles and Erik silently exchanged thoughts of the plan before nodding in agreement. “Erik and I are on board with your plan. But we all need to pitch in ideas on how this could work effectively.”  
“What if you used Cerebro to assist us?” Scott asked. “You’re our Kingpin, while Erik and Gambit lead two separate groups.”  
Hank chimed in. “Gambit, is there any student in particular that you require?”  
“Matter a fact, there are. Jean, Doreen, Ink, and Scotty are the four I’d like with me. Considerin’ that one of ‘em a telepath that holds Apocalypse’s biggest secrets and fears, I figured that she’d be able to break some mutants out of their trance without being detected. Ink could defend her in case anyone thinks of attackin’ her. Doreen’s a bigger badass than y’all think, and her little army would be the perfect last minute retaliation. And Scotty here is a natural-born leader...no matter how square he appears. If somethin’ happens to me down there, I know that he’s the most capable of takin’ charge.”  
Scott smiled at the semi-compliment before looking at Jean, who seemed eager to assist those in need. “I’m in if you’re in.”  
Jean smiled at Scott, who then addressed the remaining two members of the group. “What do you say you two?” Ink and Doreen nodded. “Well then Gambit, we’re at your service.”  
“Merci beaucoup, monsieur. We’ll leave in half an hour. Use this time wisely.”  
The four students nodded and made their way out the door all while silently assuaging any fears that lingered in Charles' mind and heart. Once they were gone, Charles looked at Hank and Alex.  
“I’ll need one of you by my side in case they decide to pay me a visit.”  
“I’ve got your back, Professor,” Alex said. “Hank will go with Erik and-”  
“Speaking of Erik, do you really think you’re in the best shape to fight? You haven’t given your wounds and mind any time to recover. You could be pushing your body to unsafe-”  
“I’m perfectly fine, Charles. Besides, someone needs to lead the remaining students. And considering that we want our most valuable ally --that’s you-- to remain here and be our guide, I don’t see any other option.”  
“Erik-”  
“Trust me.”  
Charles swallowed any other protests he had cooked up for Erik and nodded his head. He would have his time to privately talk to his friend before they parted ways. He acknowledged the remaining students in the room.  
“Alrighty, get a much rest as you all can before you head out tomorrow. I’ll address you all tomorrow before you depart.”

The students nodded and soon dispersed throughout the mansion. Some of them went to their rooms, while others stood by the main entrance to say goodbye to Gambit’s group. Erik and Charles made their way towards the entrance and, within a few minutes, Gambit and his squad were dressed, packed, and ready to go. They began to shake hands with their friends and mentors, hoping that they would see each other again. Alex pulled his brother into a protective hug, while Jean and Orono gave each other a more simpler hug. To Erik’s surprise, Jean made her way towards him and pulled him into a tight hug. He returned the kind gesture and closed his eyes, not wanting to let go of another close friend. He remembered the conversation that they had just four days ago before the attack. Until now, he never fully realized just how big of an impact her words and story had on him and his decision to reject Apocalypse’s proposition.  
He pulled her closer and whispered, “Thank you.”  
“For what?”  
“For keeping me grounded. If we hadn’t had our discussion when we did, I’m honestly not sure where I would be right now.”  
Jean quickly read Erik’s mind and smiled at the memory he was referring to. “Even the wisest mutant needs some guidance. I’m glad I could help you out. And thanks for letting me tell my story. You were the first person who actually listened to it and you don’t understand how much that means to me.”  
“Keep an eye on them, okay? I know that you’re stronger than you give yourself credit for, so don’t feel embarrassed or ashamed if you end up taking control over a situation. Trust your instincts and heart.”  
They pulled apart from each other and walked towards the station wagon parked in front of the mansion. Slowly, the mutants piled into the vehicle, waiting for Gambit’s arrival. The older mutant opened the driver’s door and was about to sit in his seat. But he stopped and addressed Charles and Erik.  
“They’re great kids with even greater hearts. I promise that I’ll protect ‘em with every fiber of my bein’ or die tryin’. You have my word on that…”

Erik and Charles watched him drive off with four of their students who they feared they would never see again. And even if they did reunite, the innocence and purity they had would be lost forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise that things will REALLY pick up after a chapter or two ;)  
> Also, Erik's memory will reappear a future chapter! I have that part ALL planned out, it's just going to be a while until we revisit the memory and also dive deeper into the significance of that night.
> 
> Questions/Comments/Concerns/Insults/Thoughts of love?? Feel free to write them in the comments below!! 
> 
> Take Care and Party Hard :0)
> 
> P.S: For those of you who are interested, there is this great fic on fan fiction called "Fathers Sons and Brothers." It's very well written but hasn't been updated in a while. I've been following it since it was published and I highly recommend it for those of you who like Erik and Pietro bonding stories and whump ;)


	28. Chapter 27

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all :0)
> 
> Here's another chapter! There are TWO flashbacks which will be in italics. Just FYI :D
> 
> Warning: Grammatical/Spelling errors and possibly slight OOC-ness!!
> 
> I hope you enjoy!!!

**(July 15, 1983. 9:40 PM)  
** Erik and Charles sat across from each other, their chess board acting as a barrier between the two. Their game was suppose to distract and soothe their troubled minds but it was eventually disregarded completely. Now both men found themselves staring blankly at the drinks they poured themselves. Erik broke their habit by lifting up his white pawn in his hand and watching it slowly spin in the air.

 _Erik reached into his coat pocket, took out a silver coin, and slowly levitated it in the air, his palm outstretched and stationed underneath in case the coin decided to fall. Pietro’s brown eyes lit up with curiosity and confusion and he stretched his arms outwards to try to grasp the floating coin. His tiny hands just barely wrapped around the metal material and he almost face-planted onto the carpet floor trying to reach the coin. Erik gently placed his free hand on his son’s stomach to keep him pressed against his own stomach. He moved the coin closer to the boy and watched in amazement at how focused Pietro was. Wherever he moved the coin -- between his fingers, underneath his palm, towards his face -- Pietro’s eyes never moved away from the object. The amount on concentration this young kid had at such a young age astounded the older mutant… he knew that it would never last. Eventually, he brought the coin downwards and into Pietro’s outstretched palms. Once the metal was situated, the white-haired boy stared at it as if he was trying to figure out what the coin actually was. Suddenly, Pietro’s head snapped from the coin in his hands to Erik’s blue eyes. He continued this process for a few seconds before dropping the coin, wrapping his little hand around Erik’s index finger on his stomach, and snuggling closer to Erik. The British mutant caught the coin and then repeated the exact same steps his own son just did. He was trying to figure out why his son’s reaction was now so different, and he eventually came up with a crazy solution._  
_“What’s the matter, mein sohn? The coin hasn’t hurt anyone, so why are you now suddenly clinging to me? Are you… trying to comfort me?”_  
_To his surprise, the boy looked at him and gripped his finger even harder. Apparently his theory was correct._  
_“Do not worry, Pietro. The horrors and pain this coin costed me are long into the past. I’ve learned suppress the memories for quite some time now, so I’ll be perfectly fine. Also, last time I checked the father is suppose to comfort the son, not the other way around.”_  
_The baby in his lap blinked in what Erik hoped was understanding before leaning back and grabbing his two feet with his hands. Erik smiled at how much fascination the boy had with his feet and how much pleasure he took in looking at them. Despite only meeting him for a few minutes now, Erik could already tell that his son was a special boy._

The metal-bender blinked away the memory and trained his eyes back on the pawn, which was hovering dangerously over the fire. He snatched it back and placed it onto the chessboard. Charles cleared his throat leaned closer to Erik.  
“Do you think this is going to work?”  
“I’m not entirely sure. I don’t doubt Gambit’s skills and motivations, but I also don’t feel complete confidence in his protectiveness. His background-”  
“Is similar to yours, my friend. Don’t be so quick to judge him. After all, you’ve always advocated for giving mutants a fair chance in this world without any prejudice or judgment, so why should Gambit be any different?”  
“Because our student’s lives are on the line, Charles. After our discussion this morning, my faith and trust in him grew a little bit, but not enough to fully trust him. If he wanted Raven to go with him, would you’ve said yes?”  
“Absolutely no- I see.”  
“To be perfectly honest, I wouldn’t have let my son go along with him. It’s not about trust. It’s about keeping the ones we love safe.”  
Charles nodded. “You make a valid point. But right now we don’t have any other options: either we bring them back and patiently wait until Apocalypse catches us, or we attack him during his time of vulnerability and arrogance. What would you have suggested we do?”  
“The exact same thing. You?”  
“I agree... minus the second group going into the heart of the destruction and fighting against his minions.”  
“Don’t worry. I’ll make sure that Hank and the others will be perfectly safe and-”  
“As much as I fear for their safety, the students aren’t my concern at the moment. Erik, you haven’t had a single moment to rest and heal. After Pietro’s death you barely slept, were attacked by Apocalypse and his Horsemen, got poisoned, interrogated by Gambit, and then bombarded with questions from the others. Your body and mind need some time to recover. Bloody hell, why are we even playing this damn game right now? You need to rest and-”  
“Charles, calm yourself. I’m touched by your concern, I really am, but I’ve overcome worser conditions, in worser circumstances, in a heartbeat. A few broken ribs, a concussion, and lack of sleep won’t affect my performance tomorrow. Nothing will slow me down, especially when Raven and Pietro’s lives are on the line.”  
“Fine Erik. But we will continue this conversation tomorrow morning before you all take off, okay?”  
“Couldn’t disobey you even if I wanted to.” After a couple of tense beats, Erik swallowed nervously. “What was Pietro’s last memory?”  
“Pardon?”  
“Right before he… you know, I suspect that you do what you always do to those who are about to draw their last breath. Did Pietro give you permission to access his consciousness?”  
“Yes. Would you like to see his memory?”  
Erik nodded before leaning closer towards Charles. The telepath sighed and placed his middle and index finger on the side of Erik’s head.  
“Why are you suddenly so curious about what-”  
“I was always curious, Charles. I just never had the chance to ask…”  
Charles smirked and began to concentrate on transferring the memory into Erik’s mind. The metal-bender closed his eyes and welcomed the comforting darkness.

 _**(June 29 1983. 5:40 AM)** _  
_“Damnit Erik, it’s nearly six in the morning. It’s not right for someone to be up this early!”_  
_The British mutant turned around and saw his son trudge lazily behind him while furiously rubbing his tired eyes. He smiled and continued to walk towards the mansion’s backyard. Once they reached the center of the field, Pietro stretched his arms and let out a dramatic yawn._  
_“Alright old man, this better be- **holy sonuvabitch**!”_  
_Erik dropped the large green duffle bag and out came six guns aimed directly at Pietro. A M1911A1, IMI Mini-UZI, Colt 9mm SMG, FMK-3 submachine gun, SIG-Sauer P226, and a M60 were gently lowered onto the grass. Erik smirked at the petrified yet curious look on his son’ face._  
_“You’re not gonna hunt me down for sport, are you? I mean, I’d be totally game for that. In fact, I think it could be pretty fun! I’ll be Han Solo and you’ll be one of those stormtroopers with shitty aim. And Hank could be Darth Vader with his-”_  
_“Pietro, I’m not going to hunt you down! After Charles tracked down Apocalypse, you and I never had an opportunity to train without the intrusion of others. Now that we’re alone, consider this opportunity for some bonding.”_  
_“The three months we’ve spent together weren’t enough, huh? Alright, what did you have in mind?” Before he knew it, the barrel of a M1911A1 was pressed against his temple. “If this is your idea of bonding, I’d hate to see what your punishments look like.”_  
_“Dodge the bullet.”_  
_“What?”_  
_“You heard me. I’ve seen you outmaneuver and manipulate the velocity and trajectory bullets. But I’ve never seen you confront multiple bullets with limited space between you and your shooter. Let’s see if you can outrun these bullets. If you can't, then I’ll teach you.”_  
_“I thought fathers were suppose to teach their sons how to play baseball, pick up chicks, or fight their bullies. Dodging bullets seems like an odd yet interesting twist." Pietro shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. I guess getting shot by my own dad wasn’t the exact way I want to go out. But hey, whatever floats-”_  
_“Do you trust me?”_  
_“Kind of?”_  
_“There is no kind of. Now I’m going to ask you again: do you trust me?”_  
_“...Yes.”_  
_“Good. Now when I give you the word, try to dodge the bullet before it reaches your temple. Are you ready?” Pietro nodded. “Okay...go!”_  
_When Erik pulled the trigger, he was relieved to see the bullet go flying off into the distance. He turned around and saw his son leaning against a statue. The smirk on his face indicated that he was alright. Still, it didn’t hurt to ask._  
_“You okay?”_  
_“I mean my life flashed before my eyes but besides that I’m pretty-” He gracefully dodged another bullet that was shot at him from a close range. “-good! Come on, you know that I can easily sidestep these babies. I don’t-” Dodge. “ -see why-” Dodge. “-I have to do-” Dodge. “-this.”_  
_“I knew a human mutate who possessed your powers. He claimed that he could dodge anything that came in his path. A couple years later, a helicarrier took him by surprise and he ended up with forty seven bullets embedded in his chest. Turns out he wasn’t as fast as he claimed. When we go to Egypt, you need to be prepared for anything. We don’t know what to expect.” Erik levitated the FMK-3 submachine gun. “Here’s something a little harder. You ready?” A nod. “Go.”_  
_Pietro managed to dodge every single bullet that flew towards him. This was the first time he was being shot at with a machine gun. His ability to outmaneuver and even manipulate pieces of metal traveling just over fourteen hundred feet per second began to allay the skepticism he felt earlier. He now felt invincible, fast(er), and free. Before he continued to silently boasting, he felt a sharp pain on his left bicep that forced him to stop running and evaluate the situation. He saw a tiny bloodstain slowly creep down the rest of his sleeve. He glared at a snickering Erik. After a few seconds, the metal-bender composed himself and walked over to his son. He grabbed the bicep and inspected the damage._  
_“Just a graze. You’ll live.”_  
_“Pretty sure I’d be able to tell if I’m dying or not, but thanks for notification. So hey, can I shoot you now?”_  
_“What?”_  
_“Let’s make this bonding experience more fun. Here.” Pietro zipped past Erik and held the Colt 9mm SMG. “I’m not entirely sure how to use this… but hey, all part of the learning experience, right?”_  
_After a few moments, Pietro pulled the trigger, stumbled backwards, and smiled when he saw ten bullets hovering a couple of inches away from the barrel. When Erik clenched his outstretched palm, the metal bullets morphed into a single ball which was then carelessly plopped onto the grass. Pietro smirked at the sight._  
_“Wow… if you only you were this good when Kennedy got shot. One more time.”_  
_That one more time ended up lasting over an hour. The cracking sound of multitudinous bullets being released and ricocheting off trees, statues, and grass silenced the chirping birds. Both men were eager to shoot each other and push their abilities to their limits. And although Pietro’s challenge lied towards dodging dozens and dozens of bullets, Erik’s main issue revolved around reacting. During several points, Pietro would appear out of nowhere and throw dirt or leaves in Erik’s face as a distraction. He would even fire a gun at Erik without any warning. These actions always caught the metal-bender off guard, but he still somehow managed to come out unharmed. Eventually, both men found themselves sitting on top of the satellite dish, gasping for air due to the exertion and amount of laughing. All of the guns Erik took from the Xavier mansion lied in a useless crumpled ball. Pietro was the first to decompress._  
_“Not bad, old man. I’m not even going to ask why you had those guns in the first place. Next time, can we practice with a tank? I’d operate it while you stop the shells in mid air. Aw man, that would be awesome.”_  
_“... We’ll see.”_  
_The two mutants watched the sun rise over the forest-like-setting. After a few peaceful minutes, Erik looked at his son._  
_“You’ve changed since I last saw you. In the elevator, all I saw was this arrogant, impulsive, impatient pain in the arse.”_  
_“Your praising skills are just as great as your bonding skills.”_  
_“But today, I see someone else. Today, I see a gallant, caring man who will achieve great things in the near future."_  
_"Aww, your welcome," Pietro replied sarcastically._  
_"I mean it, Pietro. Just look at how far you have come since Washington! You’re far more resilient, courageous, intelligent, caring, and selfless since the DC attack. Charles and I both know that success of the mansion heavily rests on your outstanding contributions. If it weren't for you, many of our brothers and sisters would have perished. If it weren't for you, Charles' dream of operating a mutant school would not be where it's at, right now. If it weren't for you, I would have never known how... beautiful and uplifting being a father is. Pietro, you've selflessly helped Charles and I in ways we could ever imagine, and once Lorna is safety in your arms, I know that she'll grow up to be an exceptional human being. I couldn’t be more proud of you, even if I tried.”_

 _The real Erik, who was watching this scene take place, carefully scanned Pietro’s face. During their conversation, the only thing on his mind was freeing the withheld praise and gratitude, lifting the weight of unspoken words off his shoulders, and purifying his damaged heart, before it was too late. Now, as the observer rather than the giver, the emotions written on Pietro’s face were much more prominent and impactful. A combination of expressions -- pride, disbelief, sadness, acceptance, and most importantly, happiness -- plastered themselves on his face. He saw his son swallow a lump forming in his throat, a sign of incoming tears, which amplified Erik's guilt for failing his son. He returned his focus to the memory when he saw Pietro nod his head in an attempt to wrap his mind around the words spoken to him._  
_“Uhh… cool man. That’s… yeah. You’re not too bad yourself.”_  
_“Your praise is appreciated. Well, we’d better head back down before the others wake up.”_  
_“I’m surprised nobody woke up when we shot that window… and the wall… and the statues… and the car sitting in the driveway. You think they’ll be pissed?”_  
_“Knowing Charles and Hank, probably.”_  
_“Excellent.”_

Erik and Charles parted, both remaining silent. Charles wiped away a single tear that somehow escaped his senses. Erik was trying to collect his thoughts and emotions that were currently a jumbled mess. His son’s happiest memory was the time when he finally felt accepted by his father. If that didn’t say anything about Erik as a person, then he didn’t know what did. And when (not if, **when** ) they get him back safe and sound, Erik could only imagine the amount of guilt, disappointment, and fear Pietro would probably feel. His mind was made: he needed show, not say, just how proud he was of his son. He looked up at his friend, who had a look of confirmation and approval.  
“It’s time to make peace with our pasts and start forming a better future for ourselves and those we love. Tomorrow we’re getting them back -- Raven, Warren, Pietro, and the others. And failure won’t be an option.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like I said earlier, Erik's flashback with baby!Pietro will be explored in a future chapter. I just added another part of that memory in this chapter because it perfectly fit in the situation.
> 
> Questions/Comments/Concerns/Insults/Thoughts of love?? Feel free to write 'em in the comments :D
> 
> Take Care and Party Hard :0)


	29. Chapter 28

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all :0)
> 
> Here's another chapter!! 
> 
> Warning: Grammatical/Spelling errors and possibly slight OOC-ness!!
> 
> I hope you enjoy!!

**(July 16, 1983. 8:00 AM)**  
Erik’s team of students split up and got into separate vehicles. With the exception of Erik and Hank, the group all said their goodbyes to their (possibly) former mentors and friends. The uncertainty that they would come back unscathed and victorious filled the air. However, past experiences and mentors have taught them all how to properly conceal the despondency and wait for the right opportunity to express their concerns...which was in their vehicles while Hank and Erik were talking to Charles and Alex.  
The former students and mentors stood across from each other, trying to conjure up parting words. The history between these four men contains much more depth than any of the students would ever be able to comprehend. Years of loyalty, trust, and enmity between them created a family. Although they all would later deny their bond, they all knew and respected what they each had to endure before, during, and after their first encounter nearly twenty years ago. Today could be the last time they would ever see each other. A few tense moments later, Alex extended his hand towards Erik.  
“You may have been an asshole more times than I can count, but you’re a good man. You just… tend to go to extreme lengths to prove your point is all. Thanks for everything and stay safe, okay?”  
Erik shook his friend’s hand. “Your compliments are appreciated. If you look out for Charles like you have with Scott, then at least I can depart knowing that he’s in great hands. Take care of yourself as well, Alex.”  
The two younger members gave each other a quick hug and some words of encouragement. Hank and Erik nodded to each other, both not really able to verbally communicate just how grateful they were for their presence these past couple of months. Charles showered Hank with praise and gratitude, which almost overwhelmed the poor doctor. His reply was simply to hug his undoubtedly best friend and mentor. Then, after Alex and Hank departed, Erik and Charles remained. Their history was unique, special, and filled with endless happiness and despair. The physical and emotional pain they inflicted each other throughout these years balanced the hope and strength they provided each other when needed. The legacy these two left on the will not be forgotten by the students and pair themselves.  
“I guess this is it, old friend.”  
“Don’t say that, Erik. We’ll see each other again after this war dies down… I need you to promise me something, okay?”  
“What is it?”  
“You are going to go into New York City to confront countless mutants, four horsemen, and a self-proclaimed omnipotent mutant. While there, you will various also encounter members of the United States Armed Forces --humans who are willing to die for those they vowed to protect. I know that in past experiences, humanity has turned their backs on us when we needed them the most. The pain they inflicted on you and those you care for will never be forgotten. But if we want to save Raven and the others, we’ll need as many allies as we can possibly get. I need you to push your morals aside just for one day and promise me that if the Armed Forces try to intervene or assist our efforts, you will not go into conflict with them. We can prove the world that the labels mutants have been subjected to wear are only myths and rumors. We can be the better men, Erik.”  
“How can you be so sure that they’ll react with kindness, praise, and admiration? How can you still have so much faith in humanity after everything they’ve done to us? To you?”  
“Because no species is perfect. Your past, as well as the pasts of others, have shown me that humans aren’t the purest species to roam this planet. Apocalypse, Shaw, and The Marauders are living proof that mutants also possess flaws that generate the fear, hatred, and cruelty the innocent try to suppress for so long. In this time of destruction and pain, I believe that the fear, anger, and hatred for Apocalypse will unite us together. I have to believe that…”  
Erik nodded, swallowing the lump in his throat, before extending his hand towards his best friend. “For you, I’ll do almost anything. Goodbye, old friend, and thanks for everything.”  
“Right back at you, my friend.”  
They didn’t want to let go of each other’s hand, fearing that they would never see each other again. Both of their grips unconsciously tightened for a brief second before the metal-bender tore his hand away from the telepath’s. Erik slowly got into his car, nodded to Charles one last time, before driving off towards the battlefield. He never felt warm tears slowly make their way down his face, nor Dallas’ small hand slowly sliding underneath his own as a gesture of comfort.  
Charles, who watched the car drive off into the distance, tried his hardest to suppress tears that began to build in his blue eyes.  
He failed.

 **(July 16, 1983. 9:00 AM)**  
Upon arrival, Erik and the other students --Toad, Psylocke, Kurt, and Dallas -- took in the amount of destruction inflicted on the city. To everyone’s surprise, the streets weren’t littered with bodies or blood. Either Gambit’s group were faster than they thought… or the citizens took matters into their owns hands and already evacuated the city. What didn’t surprise the group was just how much rubble and dust filled the street. To sum New York City up, it looked like a ghost town. Erik parked the car and led the small group towards Rockefeller Center, the place where, according to Charles, Apocalypse would be waiting for them. Throughout their walk, the group kept their guard on completely. Every sound didn’t go unnoticed by the group. Finally, they arrived at their location and, like Charles predicted, Apocalypse and two of his horsemen were patiently waiting for them. Erik motioned the others to stand behind him before approaching the trio standing what would’ve been the ice rink. The metal-bender’s eyes traveled from Apocalypse to Raven and Pietro.  
“Mother?”  
Kurt, who just acknowledged Raven’s presence, made his way forward but was stopped by Erik. The two stared at their family members, silently hoping that they would recognize them. Apocalypse took note of the distress in the pairs’ eyes before clenching his fist. His blue knuckles slowly melted together into one large point, eventually creating a sword-like weapon. Psylocke instinctively pulled out her own katanas and charged them with kinetic energy.  
“I warned you, Mr. Lehnsherr. But because I’m feeling so generous, I’ll give you one last try. Leave now, or your son will perish.”  
Before he could respond, Erik felt a large quantities of metal slowly making their way towards them. Unlike the armor Pietro and Raven were wearing, these metal forms came up in large chunks. It almost felt like...oh god.  
Twenty tanks, thirty military trucks, and fifty cop cars filled the streets and parked to the left of Erik’s group. Dallas instinctively hid behind Psylocke, while Toad extended his tongue towards the vehicles.  
“You should’ve taken up your son’s suggestion to dodge a tank,” War shouted.  
Erik’s eyes hardened at the remark. Everything that belonged to Pietro --his powers, memories, personality, and heart -- were in the hands of a Horseman. Still, despite everything that he and the others predicted, he had to try to reach him. While Apocalypse was distracted by the unexpected company, Erik began to address his son.  
“Quicksilver, I know you’re in there. Listen to me very carefully, you’re better than War and Apocalypse combined. You’re stronger than them, smarter than them, and more powerful than them. You need to fight this!” The possessed mutant tilted his head, almost as if he was trying to comprehend what he was being told. “I’m right here, Pietro. I’m not going to leave you.”  
And then, Pietro’s real eyes were shown. The amount of strain, confusion, sadness, and relief reflected in his tired eyes almost made Erik collapse on the spot. In order to show that he intended to keep that promise, he shot his son a reassuring smile. Those brief seconds of joy were instantly shattered by the sound of an officer situated on one of the tanks.  
“EVERY MUTANT ON THE GROUND, NOW!”  
Erik and ‘Pietro’ snapped their heads at the commanding officer who was situated on top of a tank. Erik saw his son’s eyes shift back into their possessed form and harden, indicating that he lost the fight to regain control of himself.  
“Gentlemen,” Erik called out, “lower your weapons. The use of violence is not required in this situation. ”  
“YOU ALL HAVE THREE SECONDS OR WE WILL FIRE!”  
“Please! Use these weapons to help evacuate the city!” Erik's patience and sympathy for the humans was quickly fading.   
“ONE.”  
“Gentlemen-”  
“TWO!”  
“We’re trying to help you!!! We need to work together to stop his reign of terror and-”  
“Why should we trust freaks like you?” another soldier asked. "After everything your kind did to us!"  
"Listen to me-"  
“THREE!!”  
Erik looked behind him and saw that the other students were safely situated inside of a building. When he turned back, he saw one of the tanks barrels pointing directly at his son.  
“FIRE!!”  
"NO DON'T!!"  
Before Erik could move the tank away from Pietro, he was consumed in blue smoke and found himself standing inside of an empty hotel lobby one block away. The tank fired and the ice rink was instantly covered in fire and smoke. Quicksilver, Mystique, and Apocalypse were no where to be found.  
“Mama,” Kurt whispered.  
Erik swallowed at the thought of Raven and his son being caught in the blast. He and Kurt looked at each other before teleporting back to the sight. Erik felt his heart crumble when he saw one of the metal knives that his son carried lying in the center of the destruction.  
“No… no no no.”

Suddenly, he felt a powerful force viciously ram into him, causing him to go flying onto car that was parked on the side of the street. He landed on the glass windshield, blood instantly trickling down the back of his head. He shook the stars from his vision and found Pietro leaning above him, a glass knife drawn. His yellow, pupil-less eyes and sadistic smirk tore a hole in Erik’s soul. Before he could push off the Horseman, he looked above him and saw dozens of mutants pouncing out of apartment windows, store shops, and cars. They all advanced towards the Armed Forces, their powers up and running. Hank's group appeared from another part of the Center and met up with Erik's group. They nodded to each other before advancing towards the possessed mutants.

The battle had officially begun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's kind of a short one due to the little time I've had to write. I promise that the next couple of chapters will be very heavy with action and emotions :D
> 
> Questions/Comments/Concerns/Insults/Thoughts of love?? You know what to do :D
> 
> Take Care and Party Hard :0)


	30. Chapter 29

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all :0)
> 
> Here's another chapter :D This time it's more action-filled and has some emotional moments.
> 
> Warning: Grammatical/Spelling errors and possibly slight OOC-ness!!!
> 
> I hope you enjoy!!!

Erik gripped ‘Pietro’s’ adamantium armor and flung him onto the street before rolling off the car windshield. When both men regained their stance, there was an unbearable amount of tension between them. After a brief stare off, War quickly ripped off the armor covering his body, as well as metal knives he carried. Before Erik could comprehend what just happened, he found himself staring at a metal-less War. He snarled and lifted his hand to wrap wires around War’s legs to prevent him from moving. However, he didn’t even get the chance to feel the surrounding element because, in the blink of an eye, he was rammed into again and ended up flying through a window and into a hardware store. He lied in broken glass and wood in a daze, his brain still not comprehending what just happened. The silhouette of War snapped him out of his stage and he lifted his head to get a better look. War shot Erik a quick wink before running off into the battle.

Within the short amount of time, Psylocke already subdued plenty of possessed mutants. Her katana-wielding skills were unmatched and her gracefulness matched an angel’s. She easily deflected bullets, ice, fire, and other elements that were thrown in her direction. And she never stopped to pause and take pride in her own skills. Her attention was completely on subduing the possessed and killing the resistant. After a few more takedowns, she turned around and found herself staring at ‘Mystique,’ or Famine. She smirked when she saw the Horseman take out two katanas from her own holders. Before Psylocke could advance towards her opponent, she shook her head when she found herself now staring at an empty space. However, her senses picked up a change in the air because she found herself intercepting what would’ve been a fatal blow to her back. Her swords clashed against the Horseman’s own swords. She deflected more deadly blows with a little difficulty before putting some distance between herself and the Horseman. They stood facing each other, the battle around them becoming background noise. Then, ever so slowly, 'Mystique's' blue skin suddenly molded itself into whiter skin. Her fiery hair was now raven, and her yellow eyes matched Betty's hazel eyes. Suddenly, the two katana's the clone was holding sudden became surrounded by purple kinetic energy. Psylocke was staring right at herself.  
"Have you ever fought yourself?" the clone slyly asked. "Have you ever seen your own blood spill from your body and the light leave your eyes? You will."  
With a smirk, the real Psylocke charged her own katana, as well as summoning one completely out of kinetic energy, and advanced towards the Famine.  

Gambit and the others just finished evacuating another group of humans and were heading back into the city, when they all froze at the sudden explosion right above them. Dust, old rust, and tiny pieces of debris briefly rained down on them.  
“Sounds like a party up there,” Scott said. “We better not keep them waiting much longer.”  
The group pushed through the foul smell, sticky water, and claustrophobic tubes for a while when Doreen suddenly extended her small hand behind her, prompting everyone to stop running.  
“Someone’s in here.”  
“Well we are escorting groups of humans out of the sewers, miss,” Ink replied.  
“No… they’re not human. They’re not moving like humans usually do.”  
Gambit took out his staff and scanned the remaining distance ahead of them.  He recognized this tunnel instantly. This was the tunnel that led the Marauders to the Murlocks’ hideout… this was the tunnel he took to escape the massacre and abandon the Marauders. The clicking of claws against metal caught everyone’s attention. A man with short black hair, brown eyes, yellow claws, and hellish sharp teeth emerged from the shadows and slowly walked towards the small group of mutants. Behind him were three other mutants that only Gambit recognized. Once his group was situated, the stranger smiled.  
“Look what the cat dragged in fellas. A traitor leading his group of fellow thieves through our territory. Remy, I’m sure you recognize Malice, Vanisher, and Prism.”  
“We ain’t got time for this, Creed. Or are you still goin’ by your prefered name, Sabretooth? If you haven’t been blinded by Sinister’s wishes, you would’ve noticed that there’s a war goin’ on right above our heads as we speak. Sinister’s best pal is wantin’ to annihilate humans-”  
“So?”  
“-and mutants. ‘Pocalypse doesn’t care who or what y’all are, he just wants the strong to thrive and the weak to die. Not even that: he just wants to rule the world. Y’all can’t honestly wanna fight for a monster like that.”  
“We’re fighting for our kind.”  
“There won’t be any of our kind left if we don’t stop him,” Scott yelled back.  
“They don't care...They’re here to kill us,” Jean quietly said. “I can hear the voices in their heads. They want to kill every single mutant above and below the streets.”  
"Did I give you permission to go through my thoughts, missy? You better stop poking around in other people's business before you regret even having those powers to begin with."  
"Hey buddy, I wouldn't threaten her if I were you," Scott growled before stepping in front of Jean.  
Gambit looked back at his former teammates, anger surging through him. He pushed Doreen behind him and let some kinetic energy spawn in the center of his left palm. His eyes turned the famous fuchsia color while his normally grey staff also began to show hints of fuchsia as well. Scott turned on his visor, Ink readied his tattoos, while Jean remained perfectly still. Across from them, Prism’s true form slowly formed. Gambit looked down at the ball of energy in his palm before glaring at Victor.  
“I’ve been called a lot of things my entire life -- thief, liar, murderer, traitor. I’ll admit, those words hurt and the stories that follow ‘em hurt even worse. But at least I can tell the difference between loyalty and conformity. I know the difference between ignorance and oblivious. We know the difference between right and wrong. And to be perfectly honest, I’d rather be called a killer and stealer than actually be a Marauder: a pathetic, cowardly, narrow-sighted group that’s just a waste of air.”  
Sabretooth growled and charged towards Gambit, who quickly raised his energy-covered hand and pressed it against the attacker’s forehead. The act sent Sabretooth flying backwards. Meanwhile, Scott shot his own energy form at Prism, hoping that it would incapacitate him. To his surprise, Prism simply absorbed the deadly source before violently firing it back at Scott. He pushed Jean, who was standing behind him, out of the line of fire. His actions caused him to get hit by his own powers and sent him flying into one of the walls with an audible crack. Right after Scott fell to the ground, Jean felt rage and hatred boil up in her veins. Her vision turned yellow and the power within her reached a level she felt months back when she met Apocalypse. It was the power of The Phoenix. It slowly clouded her consciousness and, after a few seconds, ignited flames that erupted from her hands. She mercilessly fired the element directly at Prism. He tried to absorb the attack but was stopped when he felt himself being lifted up into the air by an invisible force. Jean’s beautiful dark-green eyes were now consumed in a fiery yellow. Her hold on Prism was tight and didn’t seem like it was letting up.   
“YOU WILL **NEVER** HARM HIM AGAIN!!!”  
Before Prism could react to the comment, Jean flung the mutant right into a metal pipe hanging above him. The impact caused his crystalized form to instantly shatter into a microscopic pieces. His consciousness faded as quickly as his life did. Satisfied that the other mutant was no longer living, she turned around and saw Scott’s unmoving body lying on the ground, his visor lying a couple of feet away from his prone body. Within a few seconds, she turned back to her normal self and quickly ran towards her friend. She knelt down and began to shake his shoulders.  
“Scott?” Nothing. “Scott?!” She failed to reach his consciousness. “Scott?! You need to wake up!!” She pulled his body into her arms and began to quietly cry. “I-I can’t do this without you! You’ve got to get up and help us. Please!!!” No response. “Please… I need you.”  
She pulled his body closer and buried her face in his chest, hoping that her own life could somehow seep into him due to the touch. She ran her hand through his brown locks and winced at the blood that quickly coated her hand. After a minute or two, she pulled away to join the battle within the sewers. But then a low moan from below her caught her attention. She watched Scott weakly move his head from side to side. Jean levitate the visor into her hands and gently placed them back onto her friend’s eyes. Although she wouldn’t be able to see his eyes open, she could still feel his awareness grow stronger and stronger with each passing second. After what seemed like ages, Scott looked into Jean’s eyes and smiled.  
“Ouch…”  
Jean let out a small laugh before pulling him into a big hug. Her relief only increased when she felt Scott’s arms wrap around her frame. They finally pulled away from each other, both of them feeling relief over the fact that neither of them were seriously harmed. Jean helped Scott stand up before turning her attention back to the battle. Gambit now had scratch marks on his torso, cheek, and back. He still didn’t look like he was giving up anytime soon. Vanisher was currently being viciously punched by Ink, whose tattoo on his right bicep granted him the extra strength. He turned to Scott and raised his left hand, which contained the Caduceus symbol. The wound on Scott head slowly closed and while it wasn’t completely healed, it was still something. Ink then continued to wail on Vanisher, who was struggling to teleport away from the vicious mutant.  
“Looks like Creed underestimated us.”  
“Wouldn’t be the first time we were misunderstood… hey, where did Malice go?”  
Their question was interrupted by the sound of thunder and lightning right above them. The two looked at each other before turning their attention back to Gambit.  
“Go,” he called out. “I’ll be just fine.”  
They nodded before swiftly running towards the opening right above them. As soon as they entered the streets, they were taken aback by the post-apocalyptic setting.  
The chaos was monumental! Armed Forces were clashing with the possessed mutants, who were being pursued by Xavier and Erik’s team. There wasn’t a single corner or street that remained untouched. The pair looked up in the sky and saw Storm rising above the chaos, lightning bolts shooting from her fingertip and hitting mutants. The mansion’s group were also being targeted but thankfully kept outmaneuvering her. Jean touched Storm’s mind and was shocked to feel another consciousness inside her. One that was different from Storm’s and Apocalypse’s. It was Malice. She grabbed Scott to take cover behind a tipped-over truck. Rain began to pour onto the streets of New York.  
“She’s possessed by Malice.”  
“This whole possession thing is really starting to piss me off.”  
“Look, we’ve got to remove Malice’s hold on Orono before she hurts one of our friends. And please, don’t try to be the hero again. I don’t want to lose another person I care about.”  
He pressed his forehead against hers and smiled. They nodded before separating from each other and advancing towards Storm.

Erik crushed three cop cars with a clench of his hand. Thunder and lightning filled the darkening skies and within a few seconds, rain began to pour over the city. Erik didn’t let the sting of water distract him from subduing the numerous cops. In fact, the cold water actually soothed his aching body and provided him with a boost of energy. Once he dealt with some cops, he turned around only to have Kurt appear right in front of him.  
“Bloody Christ! Don’t do that again!”  
“Sorry sir, but I found Pete.”  
“What?! Where is he?”  
“He’s currently taking down dozens of cops as we speak. He’s fast… faster than I’ve ever seen him. In fact, I can’t even see him at all anymore.”  
“Must be the Horseman enhancing his powers. Alright, take me to him.”  
“Are you sure? You’re looking kind of pale and-”  
“Take me to him now!”  
Kurt hastily nodded before grabbing onto Erik and teleporting him away from the scene.  
As soon as Erik’s feet touched the ground, he thanked the blue teleporter before heading in the direction Kurt told him to go. He only took a few steps when he heard broken glass being stepped on. He snapped his head behind him and was greeted by War and Apocalypse. He collected dozens of cable wires, pipes, and other narrow pieces of metal and aimed it directly at Apocalypse.  
“If you touch Pietro, you’ll never see the light of day ever again.”  
“Erik please, you’re threatening to kill a mutant whose lived through countless centuries. I’m sure a little stab in the heart won’t slow me down anytime soon. Although I wouldn’t say the same thing about Charles.”  
Erik’s world froze at the mention of his friend. “What did you do?” Silence. “WHAT DID YOU DO?!”  
‘Angel,’ or rather Death, flew above the trio and dropped down a clump of metal before taking off into the heart of the battle. The piece of metal that landed right at his feet was a wheelchair… covered in blood. Erik stared at the chair in despair and grief, unable to speak or move. Every moment they shared together  -- every rescue, every liberation, every conflict, every chess game, every handshake, every laugh, and every smile -- flashed before Erik’s eyes. Charles, the only man who could see the goodness in everyone, was now gone. His last source of hope, happiness, acceptance, and above everything else, love, was now gone…  
As he collapsed onto his knees, Erik’s senses dulled completely. The sound of War and Apocalypse leaving the devastated mutant never reached the metal-bender’s ear. The sound of mutants and cops surrounding him were never heard. The scream of absolute fury, grief, rage, and pain that escaped his mouth was silent in his mind. The burning sensation of electric charges surging through his body was numb. The sight of a magnetic force field surrounding, and eventually expelling from, his entire body was only noticed by the cops and mutants surrounding him. The sight of lethal waves of magnetism burning the skin and flesh off of humans and mutants, or of any surrounding metal being crumpled up into nothingness, were never seen by him. 

The only thing Erik could sense was grief. Simple, inescapable, unbreakable, and unbearable grief.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cliffhanger ending is (hopefully) painful :D
> 
> Questions/Comments/Concerns/Insults/Thoughts of love?? Feel free to write 'em in the comment section below (or above... I have no clue). Your support and suggestions are greatly appreciated :D
> 
> Take Care and Party Hard :0)


	31. Chapter 30

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all :0)
> 
> Here's another chapter! it may seem a little rushed but like previous chapters, I didn't want to sulk in details and descriptions. I trust that y'all have great imaginations and can picture how some battle sequences played out. 
> 
> Warning: Grammatical/Spelling errors and possibly slight OOC-ness!!!
> 
> I hope you enjoy!!!

Gambit was kneeling on the damp cement below the streets of New York City. He let out a hiss of pain when he placed a hand on his bleeding torso. He looked up and saw Sabertooth’s yellow teeth shine in the distance while he sharp claws dripped with blood… Gambit’s blood. He slowly stood up and twirled his staff to prepare himself for another round. Sabretooth grinned and leaped towards his opponent. Gambit managed to deflect a few major blows but eventually found himself lying on the ground and staring up at Sabretooth, who was licking the blood off of his nails.  
“I see your fighting skills haven’t improved since our last encounter. Can’t say I’m surprised though.” He knelt down and kicked Gambit’s staff a good distance away from the mutant. “It’s a shame to waste a talented fella like yourself, Remy. You may not have been the brightest bulb, but you did have some pretty damn amazing skills. Tell The Murlocks I said hi, okay?”  
Suddenly, all of the metal pipes hanging above them shook violently before completely bursting, releasing an immense amount of water. Sabretooth swore that he heard someone scream right above him, but his mind was too focused on the water that was already blinding his vision. He looked down and saw that Gambit had vanished from underneath him. Before he could process what had happened, a huge piece of a pipe shot out from his stomach. The metal was laced with kinetic energy. His body felt like it was being lit on fire. Gambit peered over his enemy’s shoulder and smirked.  
“Why don’t you tell ‘em yourself, monsieur?”  
With a grunt, Gambit let his energy surge into the pipe and watched one of Sinister’s henchmen vaporize into nothingness. Just like Stragg’s death, Gambit relished the scream that exited Sabretooth’s lips. Did that make him a bad person? Probably. But the only thing one his mind was victory and justice he just won. He picked up his staff and began to speed-limp towards the exit, praying that his group members were safe. But then, as he got farther and farther away from the echoes of water splashing against concrete and other forms of matter, he began to realize just how quiet it was above him. It didn’t sound like a battle was taking place… it was just silent. He picked up the pace, exited through a manhole, and froze at the sight.

Despite the heavy rain, he could see Erik Lehnsherr dangerously swaying back and forth on his knees. Gambit looked around him and saw countless mutants --possessed and allies -- and cops staring down at the metal-bender with confirmation, anger, confusion, and fear. What caught his attention the most were the countless bodies surrounding the British mutant. The bodies were burnt to a crisp, releasing fumes of burning flesh into the city air. All of the metal objects were either completely destroyed or bent into unnatural positions. To sum up the sight, it looked like ten bombs went off in Times Square.

 _“You… you killed… killed them all!”_  
_“Because of them, our Anya is dead. They deserved no less.”_  
_“You threw lightning... from your eyes!”_  
_“I have powers, Magda. They rescued us, they might have saved Anya. Instead, they avenged her.”_  
_“They… you.. are not human.”_  
_“Far more than human, I suspect. Better than human, I vow. Come Magda, we need to lay our daughter to rest and leave this place.”_  
_“No… I can’t! I won’t!! Not with you!”_  
_“Magda-”_  
_“You’re not the man I loved!! You’ve become a monster!”_  
_“MAGDA!”_

The first thing that Erik could pick up was the smell of burning flesh. A lot of burning flesh. He blinked his eyes open and found himself kneeling right in the center of what appeared to be a mass grave filled with burnt bodies. He looked around and was greeted by countless eyes staring at him, numerous expressions laced on each person’s face. However, the face that caught his attention was Pietro’s, whose eyes turned back to normal. Pietro didn’t look angry, hurt, or disappointed. He looked absolutely horrified. Erik’s own son was now afraid of him too. At first, the older mutant felt the remnants of his heart shatter, but then he could feel waves and waves of anger surge through him. Apocalypse and War purposefully brought his son back to the present just so he could witness his father’s monumental destruction. They wanted Pietro to have this moment in time embedded in his consciousness so he’d grow up not only resenting his father, but also fearing him. Everything they had gone through together as a family didn’t matter anymore. If Erik somehow managed to free Pietro from War’s hold, the relationship they built was now gone… forever. No. He can’t let Apocalypse win and take his remaining family away from him. He won’t let Apocalypse win. He gingerly stood up and addressed the audience surrounding him. His actions prompted soldiers to aim their weapons at him.  
“Gentlemen, please lower your weapons! While I understand the desire to annihilate what you perceive as threats, know that I am not the one who you should be fearing at the moment. I, and everyone that stands before me -- mutant or human -- are not the enemy! The blame for all of this devastation before you should not be directed to me, yourselves, or even the four mutants who carried all out of this destruction these last few days. The real enemy is him!” He pointed directly at Apocalypse, who was was standing a good distance away from the crowd and observing the scene in amusement. “That monster has taken everything away from both species. He took away your homes, possessions, friends, families, and innocence. He’s slaughtered countless species he’s promised to protect… He took away my own brother and son.” Memories of Pietro’s body being cradled in his arms and Charles’ bloody wheelchair being dropped at his feet flashed before his eyes, nearly sending down another grief-filled abyss. “Both species at war here are not pure: we have all made mistakes in the past that have resulted in unimaginable and distressing consequences. This seemingly unbreakable strain between mutant and human was caused by our past errors. But remember, our pasts and genes don’t define who we are… what we do in the present does. Today, we must push our differences aside and stand together to defeat our common enemy. Together we can dismantle the ruinous cycle that he claims is infragible. We can avenge those who have perished, free those who are possessed, alleviate those who are afraid, and unite those who are divided! If we stand together, we can change the course of history...”  
With the exception of the rainfall, the entire city of New York was completely silent. Gambit and his crew looked at Erik with pride, while the remaining students felt waves of hope and optimism fill their body. Even Malice, the surviving member of The Marauders, tore herself away from Ororo and took in the mutant’s plea. Members of the Armed Forces glanced at each other, unsure of this sudden peace treaty. Erik turned to Raven, Pietro, Logan, and Warren. They seemed to have freed themselves from their bewitchment for a brief time and stared down at their friend (and father). All of the possessed mutants under Apocalypse’s hold tilted their heads as if they were trying to comprehend what was just said.

The deafening silence was finally interrupted by-  
“Sie sind wirklich ein naiver lab ratte.”  
Erik yelped in pain and collapsed onto his knees, his hand instantly reaching for the plastic knife that was embedded in his stomach. He looked up and saw Shaw staring down at him in disappointment. He twisted the knife, causing the British mutant to scream in pain.  
“Erik!” a voice called from the distance. Pietro.  
The metal-bender looked around Shaw and saw his son eying him with concern. He couldn’t help but smile at the realization that his own son was alive, despite the grievous wounds he received earlier, and had control over his mind. He nodded his head, silently telling the boy that he was alright. Suddenly, Apocalypse let out a roar of laugher before striding over towards the crowd. As he made his way towards Erik, all of the Horsemen took control once again and began to follow their leader down. Erik glanced at Hank, who then nodded at him and looked at Kurt. When Apocalypse finally approached Erik, he threw a painful punch right in his broken ribs, sending the mutant onto the ground. Apocalypse picked Erik up by his throat and growled at him.  
“I will not be thwarted by a contrite ignoramus like yourself. Do have any idea just how powerful I am?! I created this world and all its inhabitants. I shifted the cycle countless times, changing the course of society, in order to have it my way. And now, I'm going to re-shape society again, and nothing will stop me. Stand down now, or you’ll be another faceless number who will have died by my hands.”  
“I don’t fear death,” Erik gritted out. “Not anymore… But let’s see just how much fear you possess.”  
Apocalypse tilted his head in confusion. A _poof_ came from behind him and a second later, ten large syringes were injected into his neck. Erik briefly turned his head around and was relieved to see Hank and Kurt back in their original positions yards away from the now furious mutant. Apocalypse dropped Erik and frantically tried to remove the needles from his neck, but found that they were being held by an invisible force. His mutant form began to slowly fade away to his human form, a weaker and much more vulnerable form. Erik smiled at the struggling monster.  
His joy was short-lived when Apocalypse screamed, “KILL THEM ALL! KILL THEM ALL!”

While the possessed mutants began to attack the Armed Forces, Erik snapped his head towards War, whose yellow eyes flashed with pure rage. Erik felt waves of determination surge through him. He picked up thin pieces of metal and flung it at the Horseman’s legs.  
The Horseman saw Erik’s eyes as well as the metal that was currently being flung towards him. He also noticed Hank and Toad cautiously approaching him from both of his sides. Within three seconds, he managed to hop over the flying metal, push ten bullets away from him, kick Hank in his side, push Toad a great distance away from him, pick up a brick, and slam it right into Erik’s head. While Hank and Toad went flying, Erik fell right onto his back, stunned by the painful blow to his head. He felt hands grip his own armor and quickly tug him towards an empty alleyway. He was slammed violently against a brick wall before being thrown onto the ground. Violent punches and kicks were thrown at him, but Erik refused to fight back. He knew that a part of War’s actions came from Pietro’s own concealed emotions. He needed this time to vent out any feelings of frustration, betrayal, hurt, anger, and confusion. After a seconds, Erik weakly propped himself up against the brick wall, gripping his ribs in the process, and looked up at his son, who was now pulling out a knife. He let out a yelp of pain when War stepped on top of the wound on his stomach.  
“The things your son’s thinking right now,” War growled. “You know what’s worse than your own son fearing you? It’s your own son hating you. All of this death and destruction Pietro’s inflicted is fueled by his detestation of you, Mr. Lehnsherr. So please, do whatever you feel would bring your son back. It won’t matter in the end. After everything you’ve done to him, he’s going to grow up hating everything about you: your lies, your cruelty, your failures, and the life you forced upon him. But more importantly, he'll hate himself the most. His affiliation with you will be the final push that will drive him over the edge. All of that external and internal hatred will only be resolved with one action. Your son will blow his brains out not because of me or Apocalypse… but because of you. Consider your death a favor in his honor.”  
Erik swallowed before nodding his head. “You’re right. He probably will grow up resenting me for the rest of his life. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if he decided to hunt me down after this is all over. But if my pain brings him happiness and fulfillment, then I’ll be willing to suffer as long as I have to.” He brought up a shaky hand and gently cupped his son’s neck. “Pietro, I am so sorry if my presence has only brought you pain and misery. I completely understand if you decide to distance yourself away from me once the war is over. But please, you cannot let Apocalypse win this war!!! You need to fight this!!” The yellow eyes narrowed in confusion. “I meant what I said back on the satellite dish. I’m so proud of you and admire how much you’ve grown. I know with all of my heart that you can beat this.” He could tell that he was reaching his son, so he pressed forward. “Ich glaube an Sie. Ich habe immer und werde ich auch immer.”  
Erik ignored the pain that threatened to send him under and focused on just how much conflict was taking place within War’s eyes. With a sudden gasp, the real Pietro fell on his knees and looked up at his father. Erik could see his son’s eyes scan all of the wounds that covered his face and body with guilt and confusion. Blood began to slowly trickle from his nose, dripping on the cement below him, while his brow scrunched up in pain. His breathing hitched. He weakly looked at Erik.  
“L-Legs!”  
“What?”  
“Wrap m-my legs now!!!!”  
Erik wasted no time and complied with his wishes. He wrapped the metal around his son’s legs and arms, pinning him down. He then lifted the mutant up and gently placed him inside of an abandoned building. Once he was sure that his son was safe, he gingerly stood up and limped toward the trapped mutant. He knelt down beside his son, ran a gentle hand through the silver locks, and bent down to whisper into the mutant’s ears.  
“Just hang in there, Pietro. You’re going to be okay… I promise.”  
Once Pietro’s eyes turned yellow again, Erik stood up and headed towards Apocalypse and Shaw, ignoring the threats and screams coming from War.

‘Mystique’ was killing soldier after soldier with her weapons and own bare hands. Her enhanced agility, speed, and combat skills made her almost invincible and unstoppable. She was about to deliver a fatal blow to a cop on the ground when Hank suddenly flew right into her, sending them both onto the ground. Before she could get back onto her feet, she found herself being pinned down by her friend.  
“Get off of me!!!”  
“No Raven. I’m not letting go of you again!!!”  
They struggled on the ground, trying to dodge bullets and elements in the process. But no matter how hard she tried, Hank’s grip refused to falter. Now all he had to do was keep her down and pray that Erik would finish off Apocalypse before she hurt him or even worse, herself.

Erik limped towards the two mutants who were patiently standing right in the center of the battle. He was about to throw a car or ten at the pair, but he could sense small groups of metal charging right towards him. He clenched his fist and noticed that what he caught were Logan’s claws. Then, a lightbulb appeared in his mind. He smiled and continued towards the pair, bringing Pestilence with him. Shaw smirked and walked over towards his former lab-rat and his hands. He shot absorbed beams at the metal-bender, only for them to hit the possessed mutant. Before he could attempt to hit Erik again, three metal claws embedded themselves right into his skull, killing him instantly.  
"This ends now," he growled aloud.  
Erik withdrew the claws from Shaw’s skull before flinging ‘Logan’ miles and miles away from Apocalypse. He then flung ten cars directly into Apocalypse, who was still struggling with his powers. The elder mutant wasn’t completely hurt by the cars, but at the same time he didn’t escape Erik’s wrath scott-free. Once the cars were gone, Erik grabbed Apocalypse’s hair and raised ten more syringes filled with the serum.  
"All of this time, you've gone on and on about how only the strong survive." Erik let loose a sadistic, satisfied smile. "Tell me again, Apocalypse, just how strong you are."  
“Go to hell,” Apocalypse snarled.  
“I’ll see you there…”

He injected the serum into the mutant’s bloodstream and hid behind a truck. Apocalypse writhed in pain and confusion before letting out an unholy scream. After a few moments, green and yellow lights flew from his body and shot out in multiple directions, blinding Erik and the others.

Everything then went black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't worry, the action doesn't end there ;)
> 
> Questions/Comments/Concerns/Insults/Thoughts of love?? Please write 'em down :D Reviews and feedback help my writing and actual inspire me to write more. 
> 
> Take Care and Party Hard :0)


	32. Chapter 31

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all :0)
> 
> Here's another chapter :D I found some time to write some more yesterday so... ta da!!!
> 
> Warning: Grammatical/Spelling errors and possibly slight OOC-ness!!!
> 
> I hope you enjoy!!

**(July 16, 1983. 11:45 AM)**

‘ ** _Wake up. Everybody wake up!_** ’

Erik gasped awake and found himself slumped against the truck he hid behind earlier. He noticed humans and mutants slowly coming to from where they fell following Apocalypse’s meltdown. Everyone including Raven. He shot up from where he was slumped and speed-limped towards her. He fell to his knees right in front of her and gently cupped her face in both of his hands.  
“Erik?”  
“It’s me, Raven. Everything’s alright. You’re safe with us.”  
To his surprise, she threw herself into his arms and began to sob. He wrapped her in his arms and began to quietly soothe her distressed mind. He couldn’t even begin to imagine what she was going through -- the things she’s witnessed and done who knows how long. Right now, the only thing he could do was simply let her know that he was there for her. He pressed a kiss to her red hair and pulled her even closer to him. Hank was sitting in front of them, unsure of how to proceed. Erik nodded to Hank, silently thanking him for keeping her safe. After who knows how long, she finally pulled away from his hold and wiped her eyes.  
“I can’t believe fell for that bastard’s lies.”  
“Raven-”  
“I hurt you and countless others!!!”  
“Raven-”  
“I’m going to gut that monster like a fish!”  
“Easy Raven, let’s not get too carried away. Just rest and let Hank watch over you, okay?”  
A blue puff of smoke appeared and stared down at the red-haired mutant in disbelief and hope.  
“Mama?”  
Raven snapped her head towards the voice and began to slowly stand up once she realized who she was looking at. She scanned Kurt for a couple of seconds before pulling him, her son, into her strong arms. He returned the hug and buried his face into her shoulder, hoping that the tears would go unnoticed by the group. As this was happening, more and more members of Erik’s group began to surround the pair. Warren and Logan also joined the group, both of them awkwardly trying to figure out what was going on without being noticed. Doreen pushed through the crowd and instantly ran up to hug Logan. At first, he was reluctant to return the hug due to his, what considered, betrayal. He eventually wrapped his arm around her small frame, which only caused her to tighten her grip. Gambit pushed through the crowd and smirked at Erik.  
“Glad my words had an effect on someone.”  
Then, Jean, Ororo, and Scott also appeared and watched the reunion take place. Erik looked at Jean.  
“Is Pietro okay?”  
She didn’t answer automatically. Instead, she closed her eyes and tried to rouse him like she did with the others. After a couple of seconds, she looked down at Erik.  
“I-I can’t reach him.”  
“What do you mean by that?”  
“I can’t seem to touch his mind! It’s almost like he’s-" A pregnant pause. "Erik...”  
He didn’t need another explanation. He stood up and ran back to the spot where he left his son. The pain of his past and recent wounds, past and present, drained from him. The roaring pain was instantly silenced by fear. As he approached the abandoned building, the sight of three Armed Forces solemnly looking through the broken window fueled his anxiety even more. One of them noticed the approaching mutant and raised his hand.  
“Sir, I don’t think you can come in here.”  
“Watch me.”  
“There’s a body in there and-”  
“My son’s in there!!!”  
All of the soldiers froze at the statement and slowly moved away from the door, their facial expressions unreadable. Erik pushed past them and knelt down beside the motionless body wrapped around in metal wires.

He carefully removed the metal from around his son before gently turning him onto his back. Pietro’s eyes were closed and his skin was deathly pale. Erik pressed his ear against his son’s chest and swallowed a lump in his throat when he realized that he couldn’t hear anything. He picked up a broken piece of glass and held it an inch above Pietro’s lips. After a few moments, he pulled the glass away hoping that there would be some kind of fog covering the glass. There was none.   
"No no no no, I won't allow this!!! Pietro Maximoff, get your arse up this instant!!" Nothing. "NOW!!” No movements. “Please…”  
Finally accepting that his attempts were futile, Erik tossed the glass aside and pulled Pietro into his arms. He pressed his forehead against his son’s and began to unconsciously rock back and forth. Erik couldn’t say anything else. He couldn’t muster enough energy to notice the men staring down at him: he was too overwhelmed with emotions and memories. He failed his own son and Charles, two of the most important people in his life. The two people who challenged him, believed in him, and loved him were now gone. Just like his father, sister, Magda, and Anya. The only thing he could do was cradle his son and cry silently. After a minute or two of grieving, he slowly let go and made his way to exit the building.  
“Goodbye, mein sohn.”  
Suddenly, a loud gasp caught him by surprise. He looked down and froze as he saw Pietro, awake and alive, gasping for air and struggling to sit up. Erik fell back onto his knees and placed a comforting hand on his son’s shoulder.  
“Pietro?” he whispered in disbelief. When he saw his son’s lips turning blue due to the lack of air, he switched back to father mode. “Easy. Take deep breaths.” Pietro’s eyes kept darting around in confusion, prompting Erik to amp up his comforting. “I’m right here, Pietro. Everything’s going to be okay.”  
Pietro’s eyes finally found Erik’s, and they instantly lit up with hope. “Erik?” The older mutant nodded, earning him a weak smirked. “That was pretty sappy stuff you were saying back there. No offense, but you sound cooler threatening humanity than inspiring it.”  
Unable to respond to the snarky remarks, Erik simply pulled Pietro into a fierce and tight embrace. At first, Pietro was surprised by the sudden affection, but once all his memories came back, he returned the hug and buried his face into his father’s shoulder.  
“Oh thank God,” he heard Erik whisper. “I thought I'd lost you.”  
Pietro only tightened his grip. “Not going anywhere for a long time, old man.”  
After who knows how long, they finally pulled away from each other and smiled, both men immediately missing the reassuring and comforting touch. Pietro’s eyes traveled from Erik’s bloody face to his stomach that was still letting out tons of blood.  
“Dude, y-you’re bleeding, like a lot, and you seem oddly calm about it. Should I be concerned?”  
“Don’t worry about me. Right now, we have to-”  
_**CRASH!!!!**_  
Suddenly, a full-sized car crashed through the shop window and landed only inches away from the pair. They both ducked down and shielded themselves from the glass and debris. Pietro ran up to the window to see what was going on.

Apocalypse, in his human form, was losing his shit. He was flinging any object in sight in random directions, hoping that one of them would hit a bystander. He saw Raven, Hank, Dallas, and the others taking cover in buildings. Soldiers and cops hid behind cars and tanks.  
“NO! NO!! THIS WASN’T SUPPOSE TO HAPPEN!”  
Apocalypse saw Pietro and lifted up a large piece of debris. The speedster slowly backed away from the window, his eyes not leaving the furious mutant on the street.  
“Erik, we gotta go!” Pietro looked down at his father and noticed that his eyes were in slits and that he was dangerously swaying back and forth. “Not good.”  
He threw Erik’s arm around his shoulder before taking off to the bank across the street.

Once they were inside the nearby bank, both Erik and Pietro collapsed in pain. While Pietro’s hand automatically went to the stomach wound Logan gave him back in Egypt, Erik wrapped his arm around his broken ribcage. They dragged themselves towards the far wall and watched Apocalypse’s rampage take place.  
“Jesus, you must’ve really pissed him off.” No response. “Erik?” He turned to his side and saw his father struggling to stay awake. “Woah dude, no passing out on me!”  
Instantly, Pietro zipped towards a coat room, grabbed a sweater, ran back to Erik, and tore up pieces of the material that would stop the bleeding. He placed a piece of cloth right on top of the wound, earning him a hiss.  
“You think this is painful, imagine having your intestines torn in half. Let me tell you, that was painful!”  
“He’s not going to stop.”  
“What?”  
“He’s not going to stop his rampage until he’s dead. I think I have an idea...”  
“Perhaps you scrambled your brain when I pushed you into the windshield earlier. He can’t be killed!”  
“Maybe he can. I injected the serum you collected back in the lab a few months ago and he’s now exposed to any attack. He doesn’t have his mental barriers and his wounds won’t heal like they usually do.”  
After a beat, Erik nodded to himself and began to stand up, much to Pietro’s worry.  
“What the hell are you doing?”  
“I know how to defeat him! Stay-”  
“Screw that. I’m coming with you!!”  
“You’re staying here! No arguments!!” He could tell that Pietro was about to argue again, so he intervened. “Do you know what it’s like to have your own son die in your arms? To hold him while he’s bleeding out and watch the life leave his eyes? I can’t go through that again!! I just… can’t. I lost Charles, I almost lost Raven… I can’t lose you again.”  
Pietro stared at Erik in shock. To be perfectly honest, he thought that Erik would resent him and even hate him after everything he’s done these past couple of days. But here he was, pouring his heart out and revealing the effects his death had on him. The poor bastard has been through too much these past couple of months --being experimented on, losing his son, getting nearly beaten to death, and losing Charles. God, he couldn’t even imagine how Erik was feeling about Charles. Despite his heartfelt confession, Pietro shook his head.  
“I’m sorry Erik, but I’m coming with you.”  
“...I’m sorry too.”  
Before Pietro could ask what he was talking about, he felt the metal coat hanger wrap around his legs tightly. He fell onto his side and began to crawl towards Erik, who was slowly walking towards the door. He felt metal wrap around his wrists, preventing him from moving at all.  
“Erik don’t!!” No reply. “Dad please!!!”   
Erik froze at the name and stared at his struggling son for a second before smiling. “I’ll be okay, Pietro. Trust me.”  
He walked out of the bank, leaving Pietro lying on the floor in a confused and perturbed state.

Despite losing his Horsemen, allies, and a majority of his powers, Apocalypse still had a couple of things up his sleeves: his strength and pure rage. He continued to throw the heaviest objects at anyone in sight. He turned to his side and saw Erik slowly approaching him, his hands outstretched.  
"Do not fret, Apocalypse," he began as electric bolts began to form around his fingertips. "Perhaps you were not as strong as you believed in this world, but there is a strong possibility that you will thrive in the underworld."  
"Do you think I fear death? My death will only inspire others to carry on my mission. My actions will be seen as revolutionary, not destructive. I will leave a mark in history that will never be erased!!" Electric discharges began to increase. "By the way, Erik, how do you propose to make amends with your son? After all, he did witness his own father incinerate dozens and dozens of species, both mutant and human." Apocalypse laughed to himself. "Even if you hadn't lost control over your abilities, the damage you inflicted on the entire mutant race can never be undone." Erik's outstretched arms began to lower a bit. "You act as if my death is unique, almost as if I'm the first mutant whose blood was spilt by your hands."  
"Up until this day, I have never harmed any of my brothers and sisters!"  
Apocalypse, despite his state of vulnerability, began to mock the mutant. "Are you sure about that? You ignited a war against human kind; a war neither side was prepared for. As a consequence, hundreds and hundreds of mutants lost their freedom, their dignity, their pride, and, most importantly, their families. There's a reason why half of the mutants you recruited were alone. Their parents and loved-ones abounded them out of fear and disgust. Their desire to appear normal overweighed their love for their unique child. Mutant children lost their families, because of your arrogant nature." Erik pushed his words aside and continued to limp towards Apocalypse, until- "Your own son lost his mother because of you." Erik froze. "Your declaration of war sparked hatred and oppression against our kind, ruining your son's life prior to his reunion with you. He lost all of his friends, mentors, and even his mother's trust. As soon as you entered his life, he lost his mother and baby sister. As soon as you recruited him, his life was claimed." Apocalypse's red eyes tore right into Erik's soul. "As soon as his father came into his life, Peter Maximoff lost everything. Pietro's story is a microcosm of the mutant struggle following your declaration of war. Charles and Pietro's demise is not on me, alone. Both you and I share the burden... Both you and I have mutant blood on our hands."  
The omnipotent mutant saw that he had hit a very personal nerve, prompting him to use his mighty strength to throw chunks and chunks of rubble at his opponent. Erik, meanwhile, was in a brief state of disbelief. In his mind, Apocalypse's words were like an epiphany, a revelation. He'd always know that his vision of mutant domination and freedom had harmed a lot of people, include Pietro and Charles. However, hearing someone else reveal the extent his actions had on the mutant race floored him. Whether he, or any of the X-Men, believed it or not... all of this destruction, all of this chaos, all of this pain was on him. When he saw Apocalypse thrown rubble towards him, he reflexively outstretched both of his palms, creating a electro magnetic shield. When the object's touch the barrier, they instantly crumbled into smaller, less lethal pieces, and landed on the ground. It was Apocalypse's actions that brought him back to reality. He was going to end this, once and for all.  
"You're right," he calmly stated. "I will not deny that my actions are responsible for the suffering our kind has endured these last few years.Maybe I am past the point of redemption... but that doesn't mean that I can't right a wrong."  
The shield was quickly sucked back into his fingertips, once again creating electric bolts that grew more lethal by the second. Realizing that Erik's mind was set, Apocalypse grew furious. When he tried to attack Erik, the other mutant would merely shock the omnipotent mutant with waves and waves of deadly electricity. By the time their brief exchange ended, all of Apocalypse's remaining barriers were now gone.  
“DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT YOU ARE FIGHTING FOR?! Believe me, this world will self-destruct!! You are fighting for a hopeless species, and a hopeless world!!!!"   
"That's where you're wrong. As you were slaughtering hundreds of our own kind, perhaps you'd forgotten that homo sapiens share this world with mutants. Our kind is not hopeless. Their intelligence and strength will guide everyone away from destruction. This world, as chaotic and unequal as it may be, is our home... and you had no right to take it from us." The electric bolts began to amplify exponentially. "I'll be frank, I had considered sparring your life. Despite your cruel methods and twisted vision, your genuine belief that you were saving our kind sparked nostalgia and pity in me. However, as time went by, you made some mistake that have proven to be fatal for you.” Waves of electricity shot from his fingertips, directly hitting the mutant. “Your first mistake was terminating hundreds of our brothers and sisters to create your own obedient army. You manipulated them, stripped them of their rights and freedom, all for power and dominance. Your second error was taking Raven away from me... away from Charles. Your third mistake was threatening the lives of our students, and everything that Charles had worked for. I must not forget the moment you thought attacking and poisoning me was the right way to send a message.” He could see Apocalypse writher in pain. “If you have made an effort to correct these errors, I still might have spared your life.” His blue eyes darkened. “But then you killed my best friend and son. **That was your final mistake...**”  
Reaching into the farthest depths of his abilities, Erik sent unstoppable waves of electricity at Apocalypse, relishing the moans of pain coming from the mutant's mouth. As he attacked Apocalypse, Erik noticed a bunch of mutants appear from their hiding spots with their powers ignited. They all nodded at each other before shooting their powers directly at Apocalypse. Erik smirked at the help and pushed himself even further. The amount of colors and elements being thrown at Apocalypse was overwhelming… Pietro would describe it as an orgy. Erik felt rage boil up inside him and he almost let it consume him completely, but a gentle voice broke him out of his trance.

“I think you’ve made your point loud and clear, Erik.”  
The metal-bender slowly lowered his hands and turned towards the voice. He felt tears of joy and relief pile up in his eyes.  
“C-Charles?”  
The telepath was slowly making his way towards his friend. The first thing that caught Erik’s eyes was Charles’ now bald head: his once brown, fluffy hair was now completely gone. His new, fashionable suit was much better than the old, raggy one he was wearing when they departed hours ago. He was sitting on a hover-craft wheelchair that didn’t require wheels or anything. Erik swallowed and slowly approached his friend, staring at him with disbelief.  
“I-Is it really you?”  
“Yes it is, my friend.”  
Erik didn’t know what to say. ‘I’m sorry? Nice chair? Why the hell are you bald? How are you alive? I’m so glad you’re here? I thought I’d lost you? Don’t ever leave me again?’  
Instead, he went with, “This is going to take some time getting used to,” while pointing to the bald scalp.  
Charles smiled before wheeling himself closer towards Erik. Once they approached each other, all Erik could do was let out a laugh of relief before kneeling down and hugging his friend. Charles instantly returned the hug and wrapped his arms around Erik’s back. He swore that he could feel tears soak through the cloth material, but he ignored them. Instead, he pulled Erik closer and let the older mutant cry. Erik didn’t want to let go of his friend, fearing that if he did then Charles would disappear from him. Pietro, who was still lying on the ground, felt a large smile grow on his lips. Gambit, who was holding Doreen and Dallas, smirked.  
“Maybe my lovers theory wasn’t so far off after all.”  
Scott and his two other friends peered from a window and smiled at the scene. Scott noticed his older brother slowly moving towards the pair. Without thinking, he jumped out of the window, ran towards his brother, and pulled him in a bone-crushing hug. Alex hugged his younger brother back, silently thanking the gods above that he was alright.  
Raven and Hank slowly came out from their hideout and watched Erik and Charles hugging each other. Hank wrapped his arm around Raven’s shoulders and pulled her closer to him. She smiled and took comfort in Hank's familiar warmth. However, Raven’s eyes darted from the pair to Apocalypse, who raised his hand directly at them. A lethal amount of kinetic energy, spurting out multiple colors, was erupting from the mutant’s hand and was aimed directly at her former mentors.  
“GUYS LOOK OUT!”  
Erik snapped his head from where it laid and turned around to see a beam of colors coming at him at an alarming speed. He instinctively used his powers to push Charles a safe distance away from him. Before he could do anything else, the beam hit him directly in the chest.  
“ERIK!!!” Charles and Raven called out.  
The metal-bender went flying yards away from Charles and crashed against the side of a car with an audible crack. Blood instantly pooled around the fallen mutant.  
Pietro, who just witnessed the event, froze. "Oh my god," he breath out.  
Then, like a trapped animal, he viciously fought against his bonds. After what felt like ages, he finally freed himself completely and zipped past the large crowd to reach his father. The speedster fell onto his knees and slid the rest of the way towards Erik. He tore off the metal-bender’s bloody helmet, tossing it who knows where, and gently turned him onto his back. Pietro covered his mouth at the sight.  
The energy beam tore through Erik’s already thin armor and his skin, revealing flesh and bone. The main wound was literally a centimeter away from Erik’s heart, while the skin around the wound was covered in severe burns marks, bruises of all colors, and deep cuts. There were burn marks on Erik’s neck as well. The metal-bender’s back began to release an unnatural amount of blood. The back of his head and neck were soaked in blood. Old wounds from previous confrontations, as well as fresh wounds, let out a serious amount of blood which quickly began to pool around the fallen mutant. Blood also began to leak out of Erik’s mouth, ears, and nose. His breathing was too wet, too strained, too slow.  
Breathing hitched, Pietro placed one of his hands over the hot and fatal wound and began to shake his father.

Charles watched his best friend take the bullet and go flying. He didn’t even realize that he screamed out Erik’s name in horror. When he saw his friend lying in a bloody and messy heap, he slowly turned towards Apocalypse, his blue eyes filled with rage and disappointment. Jean briefly touched Charles’ mind and, realizing what he was about to do, began to make her way towards the other telepath, Scott right behind her. Charles advanced towards Apocalypse, who was smiling right back at him despite his current state.  
“An eye for an eye,” the eldest mutant mumbled. "You took my world away from me... so I took away yours." Charles' eyes hardened, all traces of sympathy completely gone. "I’ll see you all very soon.”  
The two telepaths glanced at each other before looking at the dying mutant. Charles’ voice was low, deadly, and unforgiving.  
“The last thing you’ll see are horrendous memories you’ve spent your whole existence hiding in the deepest corners of your mind. You will never see the light of day ever again, nor the satisfaction of victory. You will **never** harm my family ever again.”  
The two telepath’s drowned the mutant with his biggest fears and worst memories. Apocalypse began to hyperventilate and pressed his hands against his ears in a vain attempt to block out the memories. If the two telepath’s thought that Apocalypse would break from their hold, they increased their powers. Charles in particular also began to project manipulated and untrue memories and visions, replacing what would’ve been simple horrors with much more darker and barbarous visions. When blood began to pour out of the omnipotent mutant's nose, Charles only amplified his powers. If he were to be honest, he wasn't inflicting all of this harm for his students. No... he was doing this for Erik. Logan sadistically smirked at the tortured soul before extracting his claws and pressing them against the mutant’s throat.  
"May your soul rest in hell, bub.”  
He decapitated the mutant with a swift swing. Alex, Scott, and Ororo burnt the head to a crisp, while Cain viciously stomped on it until it was almost a pile of goo. Once they were sure that the battle was over, members of Xavier’s team looked around them and saw the bystanders look down at them with pride, joy, and relief. While some of the formerly possessed mutants strode towards Apocalypse’s body, Charles headed over to Pietro. As he came closer, he felt his heart shatter at the sight of Erik’s condition as well as Pietro’s desperate pleas.

The silver-haired mutant was so busy trying to wake Erik up that he never noticed Hank, Raven, and Charles approaching him. The longer he pleaded, the more desperate his shakes became.  
“Come on, come on. God dammit Erik, open your eyes! Come on man, don’t make me hit you in the throat again. Or even better, don’t make me call you the d-word again. Erik, you gotta get up! Please! You can’t do this to us! You...You can’t do this to me! You promised you wouldn’t leave me!! You can’t break that promise!!! Not now!!!! Erik?!?! DAD?!?!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :D There's still a little bit more to go, so stay tuned!
> 
> Questions/Comments/Concerns/Insults/Thoughts of love?? Please feel free to write them down in the comment section below :D
> 
> Take Care and Party Hard :0)
> 
> P.S: Happy 4th of July :D


	33. Chapter 32

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all :0)
> 
> Here is another chapter :D
> 
> Warning: Grammatical/Spelling errors and possibly slight OCC-ness!!
> 
> I hope you enjoy!!!

_**One Month Later** _

**(August 13, 1983. 10:01 AM)**  
All our times have come  
_Here but now they're gone_  
_Seasons don't fear the reaper_  
_Nor do the wind, the sun or the rain... we can be like they are_  
_Come on baby... don't fear the reaper_  
_Baby take my hand... don't fear the reaper_  
_We'll be able to fly... don't fear the reap-_

Pietro’s hand roughly shut off the radio patiently sitting on the dresser next to his bed. Once the electronic was off, the silver-haired mutant gently placed his hand onto his stomach, unconsciously rubbing the three scars that laid there. After a few moments of silence, he let out a dramatic yawn before sluggishly getting out of bed. He trudged over to the bathroom and instantly got into the surprisingly small shower.   
The warm water relaxed his tense and sore muscles, as well as providing him with a feeling of cleanliness. Unlike past showers, his three minute showers now took over half an hour, not that he or the others minded. But instead of spending the extra time cleaning himself to perfection, Pietro would spend it staring down at the drain and watch the cooling water slowly spin around the open area before going down into a dark abyss. Some days, the clean water slowly turned a bloody red, while the progressively freezing water would suddenly re-heat itself without any actions on his part. To be clear, these occurrences were all illusions in Pietro’s mind. He found himself reliving moments as Apocalypse's puppet. Some times, the memories became so intense that his hands would shake. and in order to ground himself, he would press his hands against the marble walls or glass door. But due to his powers, he often ended up making the walls and glass viciously vibrate to the point where they began to crack. Today was one of those days he found himself drowning in the horrible memories. Once he was ready, the speedster slowly made his way out of the shower, a towel wrapped around his waist, and stood in front of a mirror. His dark eyes would always automatically travel to the three slash marks that began at his right shoulder and traveled to his left hip. The marks now sported an angry red color, indicating that it was healing just fine. The slash marks on his back were also healing just fine and wouldn’t leave any traces of existing in a few more weeks. His stomach wounds, however, were much more noticeable and uglier. He would’ve thought that an omnipotent mutant like Apocalypse would’ve had healing skills far greater than any mutant who would’ve also possessed the same abilities. However, the marks on his stomach were ugly, faded-yellow, and sore. The internal damage wasn’t completely healed when he first came back to himself, and him running around only agitated them further and prolonged the healing process. However, with Hank's help, his road to recovery has been a lot faster than he expected. He threw on his normal street clothes -- not the heavy yet stylish armor he wore a while back -- before drying his silver hair and walking out of his room.

For the first time in his life, Pietro began to form a routine. In the mornings, he would walk to the kitchen to see a couple of his friends already eating. There, he would chat up a conversation, catching the brief looks of fear in the others’ eyes, and before heading down to the field behind the mansion. When he was sure that he was alone, he would begin to run laps around the perimeter of the mansion in order to exercise his legs and nerves.  
As stated before, the internal damage wasn’t completely healed. And this damage also included some severe nerve damage. At first, Hank gravely told his friend that the possibilities of running the same speed again were very slim, but as the days went by, the doctor became more optimistic. He would give the speedster pills and recommendations for the number of laps he could run in order to retrain his legs again. By now, Pietro could run around the mansion dozens of times and not break a sweat or feel a spasm coming along. Occasionally, he would spot a hole on a statue, tree, or grass from the morning he and Erik trained together back in June. The memories put a sad smile on his face every time. As soon as he was done running, he would zip back into the mansion and watch some of the classes taking place.   
When Apocalypse fell, he left behind dozens of mutants who were scared, ashamed, and confused. Because of their actions against the Armed Forces and the entire city, they feared that their lives would be in danger. There would’ve been more occupants at the mansion, but Erik’s meltdown ended up killing a lot of them. Also, there were some who didn’t want to stick around and sit in classes. Mutants like Ink, Toad, and Gambit wanted to head back out into the world and either search for their loved ones or assist the relief efforts. Saying goodbye to those three was extremely hard. Gambit’s goodbye to Charles was particularly hard for the two of them, but their alliance and bond that has grown will never be forgotten or unappreciated by both of them. He, and the other two, assured their friends that they would visit some days and maybe even bring back stuff from their journeys. The mutants who decided to stick around instantly felt a lot of things: safety, comfort, joy, encouragement, and love. Pietro and the other adults watched the students interact with each other and beamed with amusement at how quick the bonds (and occasional cliques) were being created.  
Back to his routine: around three, Pietro would bring willing students down to The Danger Room and help them with their abilities. The vast amount of powers these mutants possessed blew the speedster away. He was honestly unaware of just how much gifts a single mutant could possess, and how powerful they could become as time went by. This realization often pushed him to become even faster than he was when War took over. Later, after the sessions finished and dinner was served, Pietro would sneak away from his friends, grab some magazines and his radio, and head towards Hank’s lab, which hardly had any new visitors. Finally, Pietro would always end his days by sitting on an armchair that sat right next to Erik’s bedside and by holding a vigil.

Thick layers of bandages were wrapped around Erik’s chest and forehead, while the cuts and bruises on his face were slightly more faded. As usual, Pietro picked up Hank’s clipboard that laid on the nightstand and scanned the document, hoping for some kind of improvements.

 **Doctor Name: Hank McCoy  
** **Date: August 13, 1983**

 **Patient Name: Erik Lehnsherr**  
**DoB: May 5, 1937**  
**Species: Mutant**  
**Height: 6’0’’**  
**Weight: 158 lbs  
** **Eye Color: Blue**

 **Date of Arrival: July 16, 1983**  
**Reason for Arrival: Medical Emergency**  
**Description of Patient’s Condition: Cerebral Hemorrhage**  
**Compound Skull Fracture**  
**Paralysis**  
**Puncture Wounds on Stomach and Left Pectoralis Major Muscle**  
**Second and Third Degree Burns Located All Across Upper Chest/First Degree Burns On Neck**  
**Two Collapsed Lungs**  
**Six Shattered Ribs/Two Broken Ribs/Three Bruised Ribs**  
**Bite Wound on Left Hand**  
**Severe Infection (July 23, 1983 - August 9, 1983)**  
**Multiple Lacerations on Face, Hands, and Stomach  
** **Multiple Bruises on Face, Chest, and Stomach**

 **Notes:**  
**Tracheal Intubation Began on Site and Currently Remains in Effect**  
**Puncture Wound on Left Pectoralis Muscle One Centimeter From Heart (SEVERE)**  
**Flatlined Three Times On July 16, 1983 (12:00 PM, 12:25 PM, and 1:03 PM)**  
**Compound Skull Fracture Due to Multiple Blows to Head On Earlier Dates (Starting July 9, 1983)**  
**Paralysis = Temporary?**  
**Bite Wound Not Received on Day of Arrival (July 9, 1983) and Needed To Be Re-Bandaged**  
**Healing With Other’s Powers Has Little to No Effect**  
**Blood Relative to Pietro (Peter) Django Maximoff (Only Surviving Member of Family)**  
***Update***  
**Heart Rate Decreasing  
** **Blood Pressure Dropping**

Nothing. No signs of improvement. In fact, his condition only seemed to worsen. Pietro tossed the clipboard back before rubbing his heavy eyes in defeat and worry. The whooshing and clicking of the incubator didn’t assuage his fears, but rather increased them. He turned to face Erik and began to awkwardly shift around in his seat. His vigils were usually silent, save for the mechanical click and woos, but this time he wanted the routine to change. Swallowing fear and pride, Pietro began.  
“Hey old man. I-I’ve never done this, you know, talking to a comatose person thing. Never wanted to, anyhow. I always saw them as a soapie move that only desperate idiots did just to amp up the already unnecessary drama. Well look at me now; I’m sitting next to Sleeping Beauty and talking to her hoping that she’ll wake up. When you do wake up, don’t go around kissing me or Hank, okay? I’ll get Charles to bite the bullet on that one… It’s funny; when my mom died, the only thing I wanted more than anything was to be alone. I couldn’t stand the constant questions and concerns because they would remind me of my failures. But once you and I began to talk, I felt… better. A lot better. Probably more than I let off. Having someone to talk to felt nice, and it made me feel safe and… normal. Now, when I need the most comforting and support, I'm more alone than I could've ever imagined. After everything I did under War’s influence, nobody here looks at me the same way as they did before. Everyone is afraid of me now-- Alex, Scott, Jean, Hank, Ororo, Doreen, even Dallas. I can’t talk to Logan or Raven because they don’t want to talk to anyone. Charles is running this place like crazy, so my concerns will only be a burden. I can’t talk to my mom because… you know. I-I can’t talk to anyone except you. But you’re kinda comatose and can’t really respond, so there's that. Man, you don’t know what I’d give just to sit on top of the satellite dish with you and just talk like we always do. You don’t know what I’d give for you to pull through…” The mutant could feel the tears coming, so he pushed them down and made his point. “It’s been a month, dude. Charles has been running this school all by himself and could sure use the help. Alex and Hank need some teaching pointers, that’s for sure. And I need someone to talk to. We all need you here, so do us a big favor and wake the hell up!!” He calmed himself down before beginning his concluding remarks. “Please… you can’t leave us to clean up everything. Y-You can’t leave me now. I lost my mom, I lost my friends, and now I’m pretty sure I lost Lorna. Don’t make me lose you too.”  
A familiar click and a whoosh was his response. Pietro ran a hand through his silver locks and moved to pick up his belongings, suddenly not feeling up to sitting beside Erik tonight. He was about to move away when he found himself staring down at Charles.  
He felt a fake smile coming before he could even register it. “Dude, I know it’s been a month now, but I still can’t over this baldness.”  
“Pietro-”  
“It’s like the freaking Sahara Desert. The light that bounces off that bald head is so freakin' bright, I’m pretty sure half the kids here are slowly going blind.”  
“Pietro-”  
“Probably need to get ‘em some sunglasses or-”  
“Why didn’t you tell me what you’ve been going through?”  
Pietro slowly sat back down. “You heard me. You’re so busy running this place by yourself that my troubles seemed like another burden to carry on your shoulders. I just didn’t want to add anything else.”  
“Your concern is appreciated but you know that I’ll always make time for my friends whenever they need me. You’ve done so much to help this school before Apocalypse’s reign, so it’s the least that I could do. Is there another reason why you didn’t tell me any of this?”  
“Nope. Well... kinda.” Pietro leaned closer to Charles. “What Erik and I have is- forget it, you wouldn’t understand.”  
“What you two have is special and meaningful. My words don’t have the same impact as Erik’s. You both have been through traumatic events and you take comfort in knowing that someone, especially someone close to you, empathizes with you. The wisdom he possesses guides you, and gives you hope and belonging. You don’t want to feel alone and lost.”  
“...Okay, so you do understand. I’m sorry if you feel offended or anything. I really do enjoy our conversations! It's just-”  
“I completely understand what you mean and I agree. His childhood and mine are very different: mine was built by privilege and his by survival. The wisdom we both hold are very different and it affects certain students more than others. No offense taken at all. If you want, tomorrow I can track Lorna down and-”  
“No.”  
“What do you mean? I remember you being so eager to find her and-”  
“Well that was before I killed hundreds of innocent people on live TV. Lorna may be young, but she’s smart. Her attention span is longer than any normal babies and she reacts whenever she see something she doesn’t like. Hell, every time she saw her bully on the swing set, she would always begin to sob. She’s an observer, a memorizer, a thinker, and a reactor. She's far more capable of understanding bad shit than most babies her age can. She’s probably seen all of the shit I did and realized that I’m not a good guy. She'll never forgive me.” Pietro was so caught up in telling his story that he missed Charles’ concerned gaze. “Maybe she’ll be better without me. Now I have a bounty on my head, can't really take care of her without putting her in danger.”  
“Pietro-”  
“It’s for the best, Professor,” he said while standing up. “If you do end up bringing her here, could you erase her memories of my existence?”  
“Pietro, you’re being a little extreme.”  
“I killed hundreds of people in cold-blood,” he growled back. “My own father is  _dying_  because of me. I’m a danger to everyone I’m near. Lorna’s life would be a lot better without my existence.”  
Before Charles could reply, Pietro zipped out of the medical room. The telepath sighed before making his way to Erik’s bedside. He placed a gentle palm on top of his friend’s warm head and silently prayed for some kind of mental response. As usual, his friend remained completely silent. He couldn’t access his friend’s consciousness at all or communicate with him either. These cases were extremely rare for Charles. They would only occur if someone forcibly pushed him out of their mind, or if they were on the brink of death. When Pietro died, Charles guided the young mutant for a certain amount of time. Afterwards, his mind became inaccessible despite having an active (yet fading) consciousness. Right now, Erik was in limbo and Charles couldn’t touch his friend’s mind because of it. Charles swallowed the lump in his throat before tearing himself away from the bedside.  
“I’ll see you tomorrow, my friend.”

 **(August 14, 1983. 11:10 AM)**  
Pietro was walking down a long corridor when he felt a hand grab his bicep. He turned in surprise and found himself staring at Raven in her beautiful human form. The speedster was always smitten by her looks, tough personality, and gentle heart. He smiled at her, which only earned him an eye-roll.  
“We need to talk.”  
“We can talk in my room if you’d like. Just you, me, and the ten six-packs I stole from a liquor store. Boy, the magic I can do with my-”  
“I meant you, me, and Logan. Dumbass.”  
“Oh… sure. What about Warren? Aren’t we gonna include him on our little club meeting?”  
She began to pull him towards the small kitchen. “He left last night. He said that he didn’t want anything to do with us anymore,” she growled.  
Once they met up with Logan, the three sat down on the stools in silence, trying to figure out what to say. Finally, Logan spoke up, his eyes never leaving the unlit cigar.  
“Let’s just cut to the chase. Everybody here-”  
“Hates us?” Raven interrupted, “Thanks for the recap, Logan.”  
“They don’t hate us, they’re afraid of us. Big difference, Raven. And considering that our murder sprees were aired on national TV, I’m pretty sure the entire world is afraid of us. Which brings me to my point: what are we going to do about it?”  
After a few moments, Raven spoke. “I’m not going anywhere until I sort things out with Kurt. I owe him explanations as to why I’ve been so distant from him and more apologies. Plus, I also owe Charles some words of gratitude. What about you two?”  
“Well,” Logan began, “the world now knows of our capabilities. So I figured that I’d try to prove all of those bubs wrong. I think I’m going to lay back here and help Charles run this place for a bit until things die down. Figured that it’d be better than running away like a coward.”  
“Running can only get you so far,” Raven chimed in. “So kid, what’s your next move?”  
Pietro eyed the marble counter for a bit before beginning. "I’m not so sure. But I’m figuring things out as I go along.”  
Logan’s eyes traveled to the ceiling for a bit. Afterwards, he began to head out of the kitchen, much to Raven and Pietro’s confusion. The oldest mutant smiled.  
“Professor needs to speak with me. Don’t want to keep him hanging. I’ll talk to you two soon, okay?”

When he left, the other two mutants stared at each other, unsure of what to say. Pietro’s dark eyes scanned Raven’s human form in confusion.  
“Why are you always in your human form? I mean, don’t get me wrong, you look beautiful right now; Hank and I both think that at least. But don’t you think staying in this form forever is a bit of an overkill. You don’t see Ink hiding his tattoos or Layla wearing hats to hide her devil horns? Even Doreen shows off her squirrel tail to everyone, and I don’t hide my silver hair. So why are you always hiding your own special marking?”  
“You wouldn’t understand.”  
“You scared of hiding who you are? Huh, I never thought someone like you would ever be afraid of anything, let alone looks.”  
“Do you know what it’s like to be born looking like this?” As she asked this, she slowly shifted back to her mutant form. “To have people staring at you like you’re a monster? All my life, nobody has ever wanted to approach me whenever I look like this!”  
“Everyone except Hank… and Erik… and Charles… and Logan… and me… and-”  
“You guys are all mutants! You all have to look at me like I’m normal and nothing different. Your views aren't the same as humans! At least with you and Doreen, you still have some traces of human skin left. Almost everyone I talk to think I’m a freak.”  
“...So ignore them. And before you say something along the lines of, ‘You can’t ignore the majority species,’ hear me out. There are always going to be self-righteous assholes who want our kind buried ten feet under. And there are certainly a lot of people who want us to conform with humans just so they go back to their humdrum lives. But as long as you have someone out there who loves you for who you are, then nothing else should matter. When Erik pulled that stunt in DC ten years ago, I was considered a freak and a threat. All of my friends left me, my teachers hated me, and people on the street taunted me. But I had Lorna and my mother, who both learned to adapt around my powers. Their love and acceptance was the only thing that mattered. Hank loves you for who you are: he always has and he always will. Erik, who went on multiple suicide missions just to get you back, loves you… which is kinda gross considering the age difference between the two of you. But hey, I can’t blame him for liking you. I mean look at you: you're independent, resilient, intelligent, and sensitive. And although that may not be enough for some men out there, at least you can go around knowing that there are people who genuinely like and respect you, looks aside.”  
Raven stared at the younger mutant while tears began to slowly build in her yellow eyes. Nobody knew just how important those words meant to her, especially during this time of loneliness and isolation.  
“Just remember,” Pietro finished, “Do what you want to do, say what you want to say, because those who matter don’t mind, and those who do mind don’t matter. I forgot who said that. Eh, probably some old guy who fought in wars and other stuff. Also it’s not the most inspirational quote, but at least it’s relevant.”  
The blue mutant moved over to Pietro and placed a small kiss on his cheek, which quickly turned a reddish pink. After a couple of silent moments, Raven started a new topic.  
“Do you remember much during your possession, besides the countless deaths and destruction?”  
“Yeah… but those memories almost always include Erik in some form. He was always talking to me and trying to break me out of War’s hold. That’s all I remember that doesn’t include violence in some way. What about you?”  
“I remember feeling… powerful. The training Charles and Erik put me through is nothing compared to the amount of external and internal strength I felt when Famine had me. It felt… great. You know that’s why Warren left, right? He’s grown so attached to his enhancements that he took off knowing that Charles and the others would slow him down. I can’t really blame him though.”  
“... In that case, do you really want to stay here?”  
“... No. I just want to stay here until I make amends with Charles and the others. After that, I want to go back out into the world and just fend for myself. But this time with Kurt by my side. What about you? Do you want to stay here forever?”  
“Like I said, I’m not entirely sure. On the one hand, Charles and the others are like the family I never wanted but need now more than ever. But at the same time, I just want to escape this place and be by myself. At least when I’m by myself, I can use my powers to my full ability and not put people in harm’s way. I guess right now I want to stay here until Erik’s fate is decided. Then I’ll plan my next move.”  
“I guess we both have some amends to make.”  
“I guess we do.”

 **(August 14, 1983. 9:30 PM)**  
Charles was sitting by Erik’s side, reading a book on human evolution, when he felt a shift in the air. But more specifically, a shift in his mind. He threw the book on the nightstand and focused on Erik, who remained motionless. The telepath placed his palm on the warm forehead and felt his spirits rise to unimaginable levels when he felt… no, when he heard… Erik’s jumbled mind. There was no confusion in Erik’s mind. There was only defeat, acceptance, and exhaustion.  
‘ _Erik? Can you hear me?_ ’  
‘ _Ch-Charles.._.’ His voice was extremely soft and sluggish. ‘ _I-I can’t-_ ’  
‘ _Shhh, my friend. Don’t tax yourself out, okay?_ ’  
‘ _C-Can you… bring… Pietro… here… ‘morrow? Need… to show… him… things._ ’  
‘ _Things? Things like-_ ’ The realization his Charles harder than the energy beam shot at Erik. ‘ _Oh Erik, you’re not giving up on us, are you? You can’t give up now!! Raven is back with us, Pietro has been sitting by your side every night since we got here, and the other students are worried about you. You can’t just leave them after everything! You can’t leave me just yet! You need to hang in there for a little bit longer, okay? Just until Hank comes up with something to quicken your healing process._ ’  
‘ _Charles-_ ’  
‘ _Just hang in there, okay? I promise you that you’ll be good as new soon! You have to stay with us…_ ’  
‘ _Please! I-I want… him to see.._.’  
Charles sensed that Erik was fading fast. He pushed back a couple of lone strands of hair from his friend’s forehead before gently shushing his friend.  
‘ _We’ll talk tomorrow, okay? Besides, you'll want your mind to be in top shape for tomorrow. Just sleep._ ’  
He felt Erik’s consciousness quickly slip away before once again becoming inaccessible. Charles felt a couple of tears slowly slide down his cheek. He made no move to brush them away. He removed his hand from Erik’s forehead and stared down at his friend.

He never thought he’d live long enough to see Erik Lehnsherr give up. But he was, and it shattered Charles’ heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the crappy medical forms lol Obviously people who can write (a.k.a. not me) probably have written much better medical forms. Also, in the cinematic universe, Erik was born in the early 1930s while in the comics it was around the 1920s. I decided to go with his 30s birthday :) Also, there's no specific date of his birth, so I kind of just made on up.  
> Also, the song is called "Don't Fear the Reaper" (1976) by Blue Oyster Cult. I don't own it!!  
> Questions/Comments/Concerns/Insults/Thoughts of love??? Please feel free to write them in the comments :D
> 
> Take Care and Party Hard :0)


	34. Chapter 33

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all :D
> 
> Here's another chapter!  
> I just saw the Comic Con footage for X-Men: Apocalypse and it's safe to say that my story is definitely an AU xD I'm very excited to see how this trilogy concludes and the different characters :D I'm also VERY excited to see Evan Peters/Quicksilver again :) 
> 
> Warning: Grammatical/Spelling errors and possibly slight OOC-ness!!
> 
> I hope you enjoy!!!

**(August 15, 1983. 07:45 AM)**  
Hank and Pietro were walking down one of many long corridors located in the Xavier Mansion, both of them talking about music they had recently enjoyed. Their conversation was interrupted by a goofy smile appearing on the doctor’s face, much to Pietro’s confusion.  
“Dude, I can’t tell if you’re smiling or constipated…”  
He followed his friend’s gaze and felt his world narrow at the sight.  
In Logan’s ripped arms sat Lorna, alive and healthy. Pietro instantly recognized the difference in her appearances after months apart: she was taller, had more brunette hair, and brighter green eyes. The life in her eyes was still intact, but they now held traces of confusion and fear whenever they landed back on her older brother. Logan’s voice broke him out of his thoughts.  
“I figured I owed you one after, you know, killing you. Charles managed to track her down and I got on the first plane to Ohio. Well, what are you waiting for kid?”  
Pietro still made no move to reach for his sister and continued to stare at her, waiting for some kind of response. Before everything went to hell, she would always greet him with an adorable smile and energetic claps. Now she was just staring at him. After a few intense seconds, Pietro took in a deep breath and slowly began to approach her. He only managed to take three steps when Lorna suddenly whimpered and snuggled closer to Logan. Her green eyes never strayed from her older brother’s face.  
“She’s probably not used to seeing you after this much time apart,” Hank weakly concluded. “Just keep going, Pete.”  
The speedster kept walking towards his sister, but he stopper in his tracks when he heard the small sentence escape her tiny lips.  
“Go… ‘way… bad… m-man,” she stuttered to herself before bursting into tears and burying her head in Logan’s chest.  
While Logan held the baby close, shock formed onto Pietro’s face. The first words she said to her older brother -- the brother that would've died to keep her safe and happy -- was, "Go away." Erik, Charles, Logan, Raven, Hank, Alex -- none of them would ever know just how much this moment hurt Pietro. His shock then slowly melted into understanding and guilt. He began to back away from Logan, Hank, and Lorna.  
“Pete,” Hank called out. “Hang on a second…”  
“Kid!”  
Pietro ignored their calls and turned around, blindly walking somewhere, anywhere away from Lorna. Walking quickly progressed to speed-walking, then jogging, and finally concluded with running. The outside voices became silent, leaving the sound of his heartbeats and heavy breathing to deafen the mansion.   
Eventually, ge found himself standing on top of the the satellite dish, oblivious to the rain soaking him to the bone. He couldn’t hear the voice in his head beckoning him inside or the loud patter of rainfall. He couldn’t feel neither the freezing air, nor the ice-cold rain drops.

He only felt loneliness, emptiness, and despair.

 **(August 15, 1983. 09:55 AM)**  
A wet and shivering Quicksilver was what greeted Charles as he was traveling down towards the medical room. The telepath grabbed the nearest towel and tossed it to the younger mutant.  
“Good lord, Pietro! Wrap yourself in this before you catch a cold.” When Pietro began to quickly dry himself off, Charles asked, “So, did you get my little surprise?”  
The fast body stopped moving and stared at Charles with a blank expression. “Oh yeah, I got your little surprise.”  
“Pietro, what’s wrong? I thought you’d be happy once you and Lorna were reunited.”  
“Ask Logan or Hank. Dammit Charles, I told you not to go looking for her!”  
“What was I supposed to do exactly? Leave her in a tiny, barely legal orphanage with strangers? She would’ve suffered the rest of her life in there.”  
“You could’ve taken her to a more well-to-do family! You could’ve given her to a better adoption agency! Or to a better orphanage! She’s only going to suffer here as long as I’m around!!!”  
“That’s enough! You and I both know that’s not true.” He placed a hand on Pietro’s forearm. “I know that you would love to place the blame on yourself, especially now. But you cannot blame yourself for Lorna’s reaction. Just like all of us here, she embraces the privilege of having you around. And just like everyone here, she’s trying to adjust to the aftermath of Apocalypse’s terror.” Pietro still hadn't looked entirely convinced. “You know your father blamed himself for your mother’s death, right? When you avoided him, it was like a stab to the heart for him. But look at you two since then: you both have grown to care for each other. We all need some time to heal and reflect, even if that means distancing ourselves from those we love.”  
Pietro shot a small smile and patted Charles’ arm. “I guess you’re right, man.”  
They stared at each other for a brief moment. “So I talked to Erik and-”  
“Woah wait, he was awake? Why the hell didn't you tell me this news earlier? When? How is he? Was he okay? Did he remember anything? Did he remember my tank training wish?”  
“Calm down, Pietro. Although he still physically remained unconscious, he managed to gain enough strength to telepathically communicate with me.”  
“So what did he say?”  
“Come with me to Hank’s lab. Erik wants to show you something. Or rather, some things.”  
“But how can he show me anything if he’s comatose? Doesn’t really make a lot of sense.”  
“They aren’t physical objects, but rather projections. Memories.”

They arrived at the lab and, as always, stopped at the front of the sliding doors to take in Erik’s state. Charles could feel the guilt sweeping through the speedster. He beckoned Pietro to follow him and sit right beside Erik’s bedside.  
“Why does he want to show me memories? We had, like, four months to do that.”  
“He's losing the fight, Pietro. He can’t hold on much longer and wants to pass down his stories to you. He wants to use this as an opportunity to tie up loose ends and answer unsolved questions before... his passing.”  
Right then and there, those words nearly destroyed Pietro; Erik had given up and was now saying goodbye. Charles’ calm yet grief-filled voice broke him out of his thoughts.  
“Believe me, I'm just as devastated as you. Our bond, like yours, is special and I would be willing to move heaven and earth to bring him back to his senses. But it’s his wish… and I have no right to disobey him. Not now.”  
Pietro only shook his head in denial and hastily wiped away some tears. “That stupid, selfish bastard. He can’t do this to us!!!”  
“He can and he probably will.” Charles leaned down to meet Pietro’s anger and pain-filled gaze. “Pietro, you have to remain optimistic when you’re in his head, okay? Whatever happens in there, promise me that you won’t…”  
“Won't what? Break? Pull an Erik and let death drive me to villainy? Yeah, I kinda already had that in mind.”  
They stared at Erik for a few seconds before nodding to each other. Charles placed a gentle hand on Erik’s head while also reaching for Pietro’s forehead. Once they were linked, Charles looked at the younger mutant.  
“Everything is going to be okay, Pietro."  
The silver-haired mutant shook his head. "No it won't."  
The telepath sighed before asking, "Are you ready?”

Pietro reluctantly nodded before being violently pulled into the depths of oblivion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanna know what y'all think about the Comic Con footage, or rather what y'all think of Apocalypse (the movie) so far :D
> 
> I'm going to add a longer chapter later this afternoon :) It's going to really explore Erik's backstory and his encounter with baby!Pietro. There also may be guest appearance from an important mutant ;)
> 
> Questions/Comments/Concerns/Insults/Thoughts of love??? Feel free to also write them down in the comments :)
> 
> Take Care and Party Hard :0)


	35. Chapter 34

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all :0)
> 
> Like I said, here's another chapter!! A couple of hours ago, I added a previous chapter before this, so remember to take a look at that one as well :0) This one was extremely hard to write -- the details, emotions, lines, etc. are all important. So I didn't want to exclude anything. I wanted things to stay as true to the comics and films.
> 
> Warning: Grammatical/Spelling errors and possibly slight OCC-ness!!
> 
> I hope you enjoy!!!

_Pietro knew that he was awake, but the never-ending darkness and deafening silence ignited his doubts and confusion. No matter where he turned or ran, he was always greeted by the same scenery. The longer he remained in this abyss, the more his anxiety grew._

_Suddenly, the blackness melted away and was replaced with rain. A lot of rain. The sound of footsteps trudging against the muddy soil, along with the murmurs of fear and despondency, filled the once silent air. It was only when Pietro registered the icy water soaking through his clothes, hair, and shoes that he found himself standing right in the center of what appeared to be a labor camp. Although Pietro never really paid much attention in school, he instantly identified the camp as Auschwitz -- the primary symbol of the holocaust. When he let out a shudder, he took note that he could see his own breath slowly appear before him. Pietro’s brown eyes caught a young boy staring right back at him -- he wore a black hat, thin coat that had the Star of David sewn onto material, and fingerless gloves. The boy stood between whom Pietro assumed were his mother and father. The sound of a whistle being blown at a far distance caught everyone’s attention. Pietro suddenly found himself following an overcrowded line of soon-to-be camp occupants down a narrow pathway that was surrounded by wires, metal fences, cement, and guards._  
_While Pietro’s attention was mostly focused on the boy a few feet in front of him, he did occasionally glance around to take in the scenery. All around him, men and women worked in the harsh conditions. Some were digging holes while others were wheeling bags of soil. Dog barked through the fences and almost bit some children. Numbers written in permanent ink could be seen sitting on the workers’ left forearm. Then, the realization hit Pietro hard. The boy he was following was Erik, which meant that the elder adults beside Erik were his own grandfather and grandmother. He quickened his pace, surprised that he could feel the wet cloth as he pushed past people, and tried to catch up to his dad. He stopped his efforts when he saw Erik being forcefully torn from his mother and father, each of them going off in their separate ways. What broke Pietro’s heart was the fact that Erik and his mother were still clinging to each other, desperately yelling for one another. When he saw a guard run towards Erik and assist the other guard, Pietro zipped up to the group and began to yell._  
_“Hey! Get off of him!!”_  
_Although he could actually touch the soldiers, his verbal and physical efforts went unnoticed. He couldn’t push them away from Erik or yell at the guards. He was simply a bystander now. Despite the realization, he continued his attempts to break them away from the frightened Erik. Pietro heard the screams of Erik’s mother slowly die down, while Erik’s screams only increased. Suddenly, a gate closed and separated Pietro and Erik from his mother. Pietro ran up to the wire gate and began to violently shake it in a weak attempt to break it. The gate, or rather the metal parts of the gate, began to slowly bend downwards. The sharp tips of metal almost stabbed Pietro right in the eye, forcing him to slowly step backwards away from the gate. He turned around, saw Erik’s hand extended towards the gate --no, his mother-- and watched the metal slowly bend into an unnatural shape. More and more guards tackled the poor boy which brought the fence down even further. Pietro’s eyes caught a guard running up towards Erik and winced when he saw the guard slam the butt of his gun into Erik’s skull, knocking him out instantly._

 _The tragic scene disappeared in a tunnel of blackness, leaving Pietro confused. Then, a new scene appeared in front of him. Pietro, who was suddenly dry, found himself lying on a carpet which laid in what appeared to be a study of some sort. He slowly got up from the floor and took in the amount of books, chairs, and maps that filled the room. The classic music coming from a record player flew through Pietro’s ears. He turned to his right saw an exhausted and frightened Erik standing right in front of a desk… Shaw’s desk to be more specific. The speedster felt his blood boil when he saw the monster, but he quickly remembered that he couldn’t intervene. So he took some deep breaths and stood right beside the little boy, ready to protect him if needed._  
_“Dies zu verstehen, Erik. Diese Nazis, ich bin nicht wie Sie. Gene sind der Schlüssel, ja? Aber ihre Ziele? Blaue Augen? Blonde Haare? Erbärmlich.” Shaw unwrapped a chocolate bar that was sitting on his desk, ate a tiny piece, and pushed the rest towards Erik. “Essen die Schokolade. Es ist gut. Einige wollen?”_  
_The boy beside Pietro looked like he was struggling with internal thoughts, but then hardened his face and looked directly into Shaw’s blue eyes._  
_“Ich möchte meine Mutter zu sehen.”_  
_Although Pietro never took German, but he did learn a thing or two from Erik while they were at the mansion. The speedster translated the sentence and swallowed: “I want to see my mama.”_  
_Shaw stared at Erik for second before pulling the bar back towards him and licked the remnants off of his fingers._  
_“Gene sind der Schlüssel, entriegelt die Tür zu einem neuen Zeitalter, Erik. Eine neue Zukunft für die Menschheit. Evolution. Sie wissen, was ich'm sprechen?” Shaw reached into his pocket and placed a small coin right on the center of his desk. “Es's eine einfache Sache bitte ich Sie. Eine kleine Münze ist nichts im Vergleich zu einem großen Tor. Ist es?”_  
_Erik took a couple of small breaths before extending both of his palms towards the unmoving coin, beckoning it to move. Pietro took in the strain and determination that laced Erik’s face. After a brief struggle, Erik let his hands fall down to his side in defeat._  
_“Ich habe versucht , Herr Doktor. Ich kann nicht ... ich weiß nicht ...Es ist unmöglich,” he stuttered while he let out a small, innocent smile._  
_Shaw was not impressed and began to speak to himself. “Das einzige, was ich kann für die Nazis sagen, ist ihre methoden scheinen Ergebnisse. Es tut mir leid, Erik .”_  
_Shaw rang the small bell placed on his desk and a few moments later, Erik's mother was escorted into Shaw’s room._  
_“Mama!”_  
_Pietro let out a small smile when he saw the two hugging each other and scanning one another for injuries. His smile quickly faded when mother and son were torn apart from each other. Shaw slowly pulled a pistol from his desk and pointed it directly at Erik’s mother._  
_“Hier ist, was wir tun werden . Ich werde bis drei zählen... und du gehst , um die Münze zu bewegen. Du hast nicht die Münze zu bewegen, ziehe ich den Auslöser. Verstehen Sie?”_  
_Pietro didn’t need to know German to put together what was going on. He moved to stand in front of Erik’s mother, hoping that his body would somehow shield her from the bullet. It was a useless effort… but he had to try. The little boy instantly raised his hands and began to frantically make the coin move, which it didn’t._  
_“Einer.”_  
_“Mama…” Pietro’s heart sunk at desperation and sadness in Erik’s eyes and voice._  
_“Du kannst es schaffen,” the mother calmly replied._  
_“Zwei.”_  
_“Alles ist gut,” his mother gently said._  
_Pietro stiffened when Shaw reached two. He braced himself for the bullet._  
_“Alles ist gut,” she continued to chant. “Alles is gut.”_  
_“Drei.”_  
_**Bang!** Time seemed to freeze when Pietro saw the metal bullet slowly fly from the barrel and head directly towards his stomach. He zipped up to the bullet and frantically pulled at it, hoping that he could throw off its trajectory or momentum. However, his attempts were unsuccessful and he watched the bullet fly straight past him and hit Eirk’s mother directly in the stomach, killing her instantly. Her body collapsed onto the floor in normal time. Pietro’s brown eyes couldn’t leave Shaw’s cold yet callous ones. There was so much he wanted to do to Shaw right now --shoot him, break his neck, make him eat his own shit, drive the coin right into his skull. He wanted to make that smug bastard writhe in pain after everything he’d done to Erik and his mother both in the past and present. Suddenly, metal all around the room began to shake. Even the laboratory, a room which Pietro finally acknowledged, was shaking. The metal helmets the guards were wearing began to slowly crush the men’s skulls, eventually killing them. Pietro backed away from the scene and looked at Erik, whose face was now covered with rage and anger. Shaw wasn’t swayed by Erik’s pain, but rather impressed. He laughed with excitement when all of the metal objects flew in multiple directions. Finally, everything stilled. The metal fell onto the floor in massive piles. Erik’s rage slowly morphed into pain and despair, small sobs escaped his lips. Pietro instinctively ran up to the scarred boy and put a comforting arm around the boy’s shaking shoulders. Shaw appeared and wrapped his own arm around the crying boy’s shoulders, pulling him away from Pietro and into the now destroyed laboratory._  
_“Herausragende, Erik. Damit wir entsperren Sie Ihr Geschenk mit Wut. Wut und Schmerz. Sie und ich... ...wir're gehen zusammen viel Spaß zu haben.”_  
_Shaw placed something into Erik’s hand, patted him on his shoulder, and walked away. Pietro slowly walked up to his dad and looked into the boy’s palm._  
_It was the coin._

_The memory faded from the silver-haired mutant’s vision and left him in the darkness once again. Pietro felt his whole body shake in rage and disbelief. Shaw almost made Apocalypse look like a saint. Almost. At least Pietro was saved the trouble of actually being present when his own mother was killed. He couldn’t even begin to comprehend what it must’ve been like for Erik, at such a young age, to have witnessed his own mother's death. After a while, he felt himself being thrown right into another memory._

_Something told Pietro that he was lying in snow. The freezing cold air, the feathery touches, and the howling wind might’ve given him some hints. He slowly sat up from where he laid and saw two people huddled near a small fire in the middle of the woods. When Pietro ran up to the pair, he realized that he was staring at an older version of his father. This Erik was still a younger version, but he began to support similar facial features that the present-day Erik had. Wrapped in his arms was a young woman with short hair and a too skinny frame. Magda. Pietro was looking right at his birth mother. Despite her unhealthy state, she still looked beautiful and had a lot of fragility. He was overwhelmed with questions and emotions, but he forced them down to hear their conversation._  
_“They’ll find us,” she whispered to Erik._  
_“I highly doubt it. They’ll be too busy trying to save their own skins to waste much effort on us. They probably figure that we’ll freeze to death or starve.”_  
_“Are they right? I’m so cold, even sitting close beside this fire. And I couldn’t stomach the food you found.”_  
_“I’ll find more.”_  
_“What’s the point? My family --everyone I knew-- they all died in the gas chambers. Except for me. I don’t want to be alone! I want to go with them!”_  
_“You can’t give up, Magda. You can’t give the nazi’s that victory… We live, you and I. That’s important. That means something. **That matters!** ”_  
_“I’m afraid.”_  
_Erik pulled Magda closer. “I’ll protect you -- for now and always -- as I did inside the camp.”_

_The memory began to slowly melt away, leaving Pietro feeling… happy. He didn’t like taking happiness from someone’s pain, but he just couldn’t help it. His joy came from how much love Erik was showing Magda. The fact that Erik was showing this much love to anyone. When the memory faded away, Pietro was surprised to be greeted by small snippets of other memories relating to Erik and Magda’s time together --their travels, their marriage ceremony, the birth of Anya. In almost every snippet, Erik was smiling. His smiles were often the best (and creepiest) whenever he was staring down at Anya. Just like Lorna, Anya seemed pure and fascinated with everything and everyone she crossed. Her bright smile and untamable energy was too similar to Lorna’s. What Anya did to Erik was what Lorna to did Pietro: they made all of the pain they’ve endured worthwhile. They made them feel important and loved, a feeling they returned unconditionally. They were their sources of hope, energy, and life. They gave them something to fight for. Pietro smiled at this connection before being consumed by darkness._

_The first then Pietro felt was warmth. Way too much warmth. So much warmth that he actually missed lying in the freezing snow. When the scene was constructed, he was staring at a fire-consumed foyer. He frantically crawled backwards away from the fire, his eyes never leaving the flames. When he was a safe distance away, he looked down and realized that he was sitting on a cobblestone street with people standing around him. He stood up and saw an old-looking motel get set ablaze. He noticed that half of the men standing on the street had smiles on their faces, indicating that they were the ones responsible for the fire._  
_“The Inn?!” a voice screamed from the crowd. “Magda! Let me through,” the man continued. “Out of my way. Let me through. **ANYA!** ”_  
_Pietro snapped his head to the source of the yelling. His world briefly slowed down when he saw his father, still young, pushing through the gathering crowd. The metal-bender gripped a man by the collar of his jacket._  
_“Innkeeper! My wife, my child -- **where are they?!?!** "_  
_“I-Inside.”_  
_Erik threw the man onto the ground and charged towards the flames, Pietro right on his heels. When they entered the motel, the flames had traveled even higher and faster. And right in the only untouched part of the inn left, stood a young woman frantically looking up the wooden stairs._  
_“Magda!” Erik cried._  
_Her brown hair was much longer and she was holding a purple stuffed bunny...a bunny that would eventually become his and Lorna’s. When they reached the woman, Pietro watched her and his father embrace._  
_“Upstairs...Anya in our room! I left her sleeping when I went shopping for supper! The fire… too hot… I can’t get to her! Our daughter is trapped!! We have to save her!!”_  
_“We’ll do her no good if we kill ourselves in the process. You get outside and I’ll find a way- the stairs!”_  
_As soon as those words left his lips, the wooden ceiling above them began to groan. Instinctively, Pietro ran back outside in a blink of an eyes, automatically feeling guilty for leaving those two to burn. He held his breath, hoping that they would come back unharmed or, even better, with Anya in their arms. They did. He pulled her away from the burning building. A loud scream from the third floor caught Pietro’s attention. He snapped his head up and saw a little girl with brown hair sticking her head out of the window._  
_“ANYA!” Erik cried from below._  
_“Poppa, there’s a fire in my room!! Poppa, I can’t get away!! I’m scared, Poppa. HELP ME!”_  
_Pietro’s own anxiety was rising to dangerous levels. He kept forgetting that these were memories -- unstoppable and irreversible memories.  But when he saw Anya, who carried a slight resemblance to Lorna, screaming for help, his big brother mode kicked in and he refused to just stand by and watch._  
_“Be brave, sweetheart! I’m coming for you!!”_  
_An unfamiliar voice appeared. “There he is,” it yelled._  
_Two cops began to restrain Erik, who was just about to head back into the building. “What are you doing?” the metal-bender asked._  
_“You’re under arrest comrade for extortion and assault.”_  
_“No… you can’t!! My daughter- please!!”_  
_“ **Poppa, the fire!! I’M BURNING!!!** ”_  
_While Magda was trying to get to her husband, who was being beaten by the cops, Pietro ran to the motel and tried to scale the building with his speed. He couldn’t even make it to the second floor due to an invisible tug that forced him back onto the ground._  
_“Lorna!” he instinctively screamed. “Hang in there, okay?”_  
_The sounds of grunts and kicks grabbed Pietro’s attention. He zipped past the crowd and began to frantically pull the cops off of Erik, who was now bleeding from the head._  
_“Resist officers of the state, will you? Better teach this dog a proper lesson, Dmitri.”_  
_While the batons were being brutally smashed against Erik’s skull, his son tried his hardest to push the cops away from Erik… obviously failing._  
_“Fucking hell, get off of him! Let him go, you shitheads!!”_  
_After a while, the man bent down to meet Erik’s gaze, which hadn’t wavered from the burning motel._  
_“Tisk tisk tisk. Too bad, comrade. I offered an honest wage for an honest day’s work, but you went and got greedy. Now you pay the price.”_  
_“You lying-” A loud scream filled the air. “That scream! My child’s done no harm!! I beg you!!! Please, for the love of heaven, **SOMEBODY PLEASE HELP ME!** ”_  
_Pietro's blood ran cold when he heard Erik’s desperate tone. He’s never shown this much fear and vulnerability --not even Shaw or Apocalypse could extract this kind of fear out of him. And it absolutely shattered Pietro’s heart._  
_“What a waste of breath, comrade,” the man taunted. “Nobody here will risk life or freedom for an obvious enemy of the state.”_  
_A small body that was consumed in flames fell from the burning motel landed with a crack. Pietro ran to the body and nearly passed out at the sight. Anya’s once beautiful and innocent face was now covered in severe burns. All of her clothes and hair were becoming a pile of ash. Pietro fell to his knees and felt himself shaking in fear, devastation, and shock. No matter how badly he wanted to, he could never tear his eyes away from the burnt corpse._  
_“Condolences, comrade, for your tragic loss. But you’ve only yourself to blame.”_  
_There. Right there. Right at that moment, Pietro saw red. All of his humanity instantly died away and was replaced with pure rage. He hadn’t felt this way since his encounter with Apocalypse. Actually, he was pretty sure that he wasn’t this furious back in Egypt. If anyone were to have looked into his dark eyes, they would’ve believed that a demon had possessed the mutant. He slowly stood up, glared at the unseeing man, ran up to him, and snapped his neck in one swift move. To his disappointment, the man didn’t die. His head only twisted to the left. Pietro snapped the man’s neck again and again, hoping that he could rip off the man’s head. His efforts stopped when he heard Erik mumbled something._  
_“No…”_  
_When Pietro saw Erik’s body being consumed by electricity, he was paralyzed with fear._   " _E-Erik?”_  
_“NO!!!” The voltage rose to lethal levels._  
_“Oh shit…”_  
_“ **NO!!!!** ”_  
_The electricity shot from Erik’s body, knocking Pietro onto the cobblestone ground. As soon as his head connected with the ground, he blacked out._

 _With a groan, Pietro peeled his eyes open and gingerly sat up, rubbing the back of his head where a small bump was now hidden underneath his silver hair. When his vision cleared, he realized that he was sitting in a street filled with burnt corpses that perfectly matched Anya’s. After some searching, he found Erik kneeling right in the center of it all with his eyes closed. Pietro’s mind instantly went back to New York City when he found Erik in the exact same state following Apocalypse’s reveal about Charles. The speedster stood up and began to slowly walk towards his father, who had yet to open his eyes._  
_“Erik? A-Are you…”_  
_He knelt down in front of his father and was about to place a shaky hand on those broad shoulders, but a voice caught his attention._  
_“You… you killed… killed them all!”_  
_Erik’s eyes snapped open and automatically found Magda’s. Unlike his, her eyes were filled with confusion and horror. Pure horror._  
_“Because of them, our Anya is dead,” Erik growled venomously. “They deserved no less.”_  
_“You threw lightning... from your eyes!”_  
_“I have powers, Magda. They rescued us, they might have saved Anya. Instead, they avenged her.”_  
_“They… you... are not human.”_  
_“Far more than human, I suspect. Better than human, I vow.” Erik stood up. “Come Magda, we need to lay our daughter to rest and leave this place.”_  
_“No… I can’t!” Magda began to back away from the devastating scene. “I won’t!! Not with you!”_  
_“Magda-”_  
_“You’re not the man I loved!!” She threw the purple bunny at Erik before running off into the night. “You’ve become a monster!”_  
_“MAGDA!”_  
_She didn’t turn back. She kept running and running until she became a small dot which eventually faded into nothingness. Pietro couldn’t even begin to speak. There were too many emotions and happenings for him to comprehend. All he could do was stare at Erik, who knelt onto the blood-covered street and held the bunny in his hands as if it were a lifeline. And then, just like that, Erik crumbled and cried. He let the bunny fall and buried his face into his now free hands. His son looked at his father with tears in his eyes. He didn’t know how long he had stared at his father crying, but Pietro could sense another shift in the mind._  
_Right before the memory faded away, Pietro managed to let out a small apology. “I’m sorry, dad. I’m so fucking sorry.”_  
_Blackness._

 _“Today, our fighting stops!”_  
_Pietro snapped his eyes open and was instantly blinded by the sun, something he's rarely seen in any of Erik’s memories so far. He felt sand seeping into his clothes and tickle his body. He sat up and was greeted by a beautiful ocean… that was filled with navy ships that belonged to the Soviet Union and Russia. Behind him laid a jet and a submarine --both of them destroyed and rendered useless. Erik, who looked more like himself, emerged from a gaping hole that was on the submarine and levitated what appeared to be Shaw, who appeared to be bleeding right in the center of his forehead. A young Raven, Hank, Alex, and who he assume was Sean, made their way towards the floating body. Charles and a girl Erik hadn’t mentioned before came from the jet’s wreckage. When Erik let the body go, Pietro winced at the loud cracking that followed. Then, a petite girl with fly-like wings, an all red man who carried similar resemblances to Kurt, and man in grey suit joined the on-lookers. Erik levitated himself to the sandy ground and pointed at the stationed ships._  
_“Take off your blinders, brothers and sisters. The real enemy is out there. I feel their guns moving in the water, their metal targeting us. Americans, Soviets, humans -- united in their fear of the unknown. The Neanderthal is running scared, my fellow mutants! Go ahead, Charles. Tell me I'm wrong.”_  
_Charles placed his fingers to the side of his temple and looked back, silently confirming that he was right. Everyone was staring at the ships, waiting for the missiles to be fired. And then, dozens and dozens of missiles, fired by both ships, were heading straight towards the occupants of the island. Then the missiles stopped. Pietro didn’t even have to look at Erik to know that all of this was his doing. The missiles began to slowly turn back towards the ships._  
_“Erik, you said yourself, we're the better men. This is the time to prove it. There are thousands of men on those ships. Good, honest, innocent men! They're just following orders.”_  
_“I’ve been at the mercy of men just following orders.” Erik’s eyes tore away from the missiles and glared at Charles, sending shivers down Pietro’s spine. “Never again.”_  
_With that, Erik flung the missiles at the ships. Before Pietro could put the pieces together, Charles was tackling Erik onto the sandy ground. The silver-haired mutant watched their wrestling match take place, silently putting his money on Erik. He was correct. Erik gained the upper hand and pushed the missiles forward with much more force. Suddenly, the girl Pietro had never seen before began to fire at Erik. With ease, he deflected the bullets away from him. But then, he misdirected a bullet and it ended up hitting Charles right in his spine._  
_Pietro actually flinched when the bullet hit Charles. He saw the regret in Erik’s eyes, as well as the girls. He saw Raven’s horrified expression. Erik ran to his fallen friend, extracted the bent bullet from Charles; back, and let the missiles fall into the ocean. The way Erik held Charles almost perfectly mirrored how he held Pietro when he was dying on The Blackbird… except here there were less tears. The younger mutants began to approach the pair._  
_“I said back off!” Erik screamed as he flung all of the men a great distance away from him. “You,” he growled as his eye’s found the woman’s. “You did this.”_  
_Erik began to choke her with her own dog tags. Although he didn’t know the woman, Pietro began to quietly mumble to the metal-bender, knowing that he wouldn’t hear him._  
_“That’s enough, Erik. Seriously dude, you need to let go of her now. Fucking Christ, is this what you do to everyone who hurts someone you love? You kill them without remorse?”_  
_“She didn’t do this, Erik. You did.”_  
_Erik let go of the woman and began to talk to Charles about his visions for the future. The pair talked about their differences in seeing humans, violence, and vengeance. They talked about conformity, acceptance, and fear. And this entire exchange led to Erik ripping Raven away from Charles, who he cared for a lot. It all made sense. The memory faded with Erik and his new band of mutants leaving the island and, more importantly, a devastated and bleeding Charles. After a few seconds of blackness, Pietro was staring at a bunch of glow in the dark stars resting on top of a ceiling._

 _He slowly sat up and examined his surroundings. He quickly deduced that he was in a nursery: the blue walls, toys laid all over the ground, and the sound of a music box quietly played in the background were just some of the many traditional nursery items sitting in the room. The moonlight from outside lit up the otherwise pitch black room. He heard little giggles of laughter coming from the crib. He walked over to the bed, excited to see what the baby looked like, and froze in shock. His mother showed him way too many baby pictures for his liking and he could automatically tell that the baby he was staring at was himself._  
_His baby self was wearing an all blue, one-piece suit. His long and silver hair was instead white and short, indicating that he was no older than six months. His tiny hands were holding his also tiny feet in the air, while his dark eyes stared at the limbs in fascination. Whenever the baby kicked his feet up in the air, he began to giggle with excitement._  
_“Holy cow,” the older Pietro said to himself, “I’m fucking adorable.”_  
_Suddenly, the window across from the crib gently slid open and within a few seconds, Pietro found himself staring at yet another younger version of his father. This time, he looked only a couple of years younger than he appeared back on the island. His hair was slightly longer, his eyes bluer than ever and filled with much more life and excitement. He looked healthier and… better._  
_Erik quietly shut the window and tiptoed to the crib. When baby Pietro’s eyes saw Erik approaching him, he left go of his feet and stared up at the stranger. Erik reached the crib and stared down at his son, taking in the physical traits and hoping to find some similarities. He moved to Pietro’s curious eyes and gently cupped the baby’s cheek._  
_“Hello there,” he quietly whispered, “do not be alarmed. We were suppose to meet a long time ago, but fate seems to have frowned upon me in recent years. But now, it seems like fate has brought me to you. My name is Erik Lehnsherr.... and I’m your father.”_  
_The baby blinked a couple of times, trying to process what was just told to him, before shooting Erik an adorable smile. He began to wildly clap his hands and kick his feet in the air._  
_“Shhh, little one. You don’t want to wake your mother now, do you?”_  
_The baby’s smile never wavered and he lifted his arms in the air, signaling that he wanted to be picked up. Erik smiled and complied with the infant’s wishes. He gently lifted his son from his bed and cradled him in a protective yet gentle embrace._  
_“Meine schöne Sohn,” Erik whispered in amazement, “I can’t believe you are mine.”_  
_He sat down on the floor and was taken by surprise when the baby struggled out of his grip. He let his son go and watched with pride and amazement when he saw the six month old slowly walk, with little trouble and no assistance, towards the fading stuffed bear lying on the ground. Erik simply couldn’t believe that the boy was already walking by himself, confidence and determination written in his dark eyes. When the baby turned around, he let out a small giggle of satisfaction._  
_“Outstanding,” Erik said to the baby and himself._  
_Pietro picked up the bear, walked back towards his father, and handed him the item. He then plopped down onto his butt and sat across from the older man, his mysterious eyes never leaving the beautiful blue ones._  
_“I can tell you’ve grown attached to the object, little one. You must enjoy playing with it because the color has begun to fade and the stitches have begun to rip.”_  
_After a few moments, Pietro turned around and tried to walk back to get another toy, but he tripped over his two feet and fell… hard. Erik could sense tears and sobs approaching, so he quickly leaned over to gather his son into his arms and began to gently rock him back and forth._  
_“Shhh it’s okay. The pain will only last for a few seconds. I know you’re strong enough to let it pass. Hush, little one. I’m right here…”_  
_The baby muffled his sobs when he buried his head in Erik’s chest, his tiny hands gripping the fabric as tightly as they could. When Pietro calmed down, he looked up at Erik, who placed a gentle kiss on his forehead._  
_“You’re a brave boy... Hmm, my back is beginning to hurt a bit. How would you feel about moving over to the rocking chair?”_  
_He made it over to the corner in three swift strides. When the pair was situated on the wooden surface, Pietro sighed and leaned closer to Erik, who welcomed the comforting warmth. The British mutant closed his eyes and embraced this peaceful moment, not wanting it to ever end. Without opening his eyes, he felt a tiny hand reach into his coat pocket and wrap around the only metal object he carried with him. The infant began to tug at the object, hoping that it would break free for him to see. Sighing, Erik reached into his coat pocket, took out a silver coin, and slowly levitated it in the air, his palm outstretched and stationed underneath in case the coin decided to fall. Pietro’s brown eyes lit up with curiosity and confusion, and he stretched his arms outwards to try to grasp the floating coin. His tiny hands just barely wrapped around the metal material and he almost face-planted onto the carpet floor trying to reach the coin. Erik gently placed his free hand on his son’s stomach to keep him pressed against his own stomach. He moved the coin closer to the boy and watched in amazement at how focused Pietro was. Wherever he moved the coin -- between his fingers, underneath his palm, towards his face -- Pietro’s eyes never moved away from the object. The amount on concentration this young kid had at such a young age astounded the older mutant… he knew that it would never last. Eventually, he brought the coin downwards and into Pietro’s outstretched palms. Once the metal was situated, the white-haired boy stared at it as if he was trying to figure out what the coin actually was. Suddenly, Pietro’s head snapped from the coin in his hands to Erik’s blue eyes. He continued this process for a few seconds before dropping the coin, wrapping his little hand around Erik’s index finger on his stomach, and snuggling closer to Erik. The British mutant caught the coin and then repeated the exact same steps his own son just did. He was trying to figure out why his son’s reaction was now so different, and he eventually came up with a crazy solution._  
_“What’s the matter, mein sohn? The coin hasn’t harmed anyone, so why are you now suddenly clinging to me? Are you… trying to comfort me?”_  
_To his surprise, the boy looked at him and gripped his finger even harder. Apparently his theory was correct._  
_“Do not worry, Pietro. The horrors and pain this coin costed me are long into the past. I’ve learned suppress the memories for quite some time now, so I’ll be perfectly fine. Also, last time I checked the father is suppose to comfort the son, not the other way around.”_  
_The baby in his lap blinked in what Erik hoped was understanding before leaning back and grabbing his two feet with his hands._  
_“You are something else, I’ll give you that.”_  
_He placed the coin back into his pocket and continued to stare down at his playful son. Suddenly, an idea came popped into his head._  
_“Are you ticklish?” He reached down and playfully tickled his son, earning him a coo of happiness. “Are you ticklish?” He repeated his actions. His response was now a small squeal of laughter. “You are ticklish. I could use that to my advantage one day.”_  
_He pressed his lips against Pietro’s belly and blew. The baby squealed with laughter and weakly pushed his father’s face away from his belly. Erik smirked before continuing his actions, embracing every coo and laugh that escaped his son's lips. Eventually, he stopped torturing the poor thing and leaned back in the chair. Pietro, who was just recovering from all of the tickling and laughing, tilted his head when he saw a purple thing sticking out of Erik’s coat pocket. Just like the coin, he grabbed for the mysterious item so he could see it._  
_“I see your wandering eyes have finally noticed this little gem.”_   _As soon as Erik took out the stuffed bunny from his coat pocket, the baby in his lap let out a squeal of excitement before wildly clapping his hands and kicking his legs._   _“An eager boy, I’ll give you that. Alright, here you go, little one.”_  
_Erik gently placed the toy in his son’s awaiting arms. To his surprise, the baby quickly snatched the bunny from his hand and pulled it into a tight hug. The older mutant smiled down at his son, taking in the innocence and joy this baby possessed at such a young age. He felt his heart melt when the baby in his lap let out a small yawn before tugging the toy closer to his chest._  
_“Pietro Django Eisenhardt, my beautiful son. Nicht einmal ändern…”_  
_As if he understood what the older mutant was saying, Pietro looked up and let out a tiny smile before abandoning the bunny and snuggled against his father’s chest, pressing his tiny ear against Erik’s beating heart. The little sigh that escaped his lips nearly brought tears to Erik’s eyes. He pushed them back and began to slowly stroke his son’s unnatural white hair. He rocked back and forth in the chair and began to quietly hum a lullaby… a familiar lullaby._  
_The real Pietro, who remained silent throughout this entire exchange, simply embraced the moments he was witnessing in front of him. The tickling, the humming, the cradling -- these were all done in the exact same fashion when Lorna was first born. It struck Pietro just how similar he and his father were, genetics and blood aside. Watching his father shower him with this much pride and affection didn’t bother Pietro at all; it just made him feel more loved than he ever felt before._  
_“Erik? What are you doing here?”_  
_Pietro and Erik both snapped their heads to the front door. Marya was leaning against the doorframe, in her pajamas, cradling what looked like another infant in her arms._  
_Wait… what?!_  
_Pietro zipped up to the older lady, gently unwrapped the blanket from around the bundle, and became paralyzed with confusion._  
_Wrapped inside the pink blanket laid a brunette baby. She looked like she was also six months old yet seemed much more tamed than his own baby self. Pietro’s eyes snapped from Erik, who was also staring at the bundle in confusion, to Marya._  
_Finally, Erik cleared his throat and whispered, “Who is that? Or rather, whose is that?”_  
_“Erik, what are you-”_  
_“Remember back in Tusia you told me that you were going to adopt a baby? Was the birth mother’s name Magda Eisenhardt?”_  
_“Y-Yes. How.... How did you know that?”_  
_“Because she was my wife… and the baby I’m currently holding in my arms is mine by birth. I’m his father, Marya.” The older woman remained still. “Surprise…”_  
_Marya shook the shock away. “If that’s true… than this bundle in my arms is also yours.”_  
_It was now Erik’s turn to be shocked. Pietro also had a shocked expression plastered onto his face._  
_“What do you mean that one’s mine as well?_  
_“Magda gave birth to twins, Erik. When I went to pick your son up, I quickly found out that he and his sister were inseparable: whenever I pulled one away, the other one would sob until they were together again. So I adopted them both.”_

_“Erik, meet Wanda Maximoff.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A couple of things:  
> 1.)She's finally here!! Wanda Maximoff is (one of the) final additions to this story :D Don't worry, she will appear outside of this flashback :) You just gotta stay tuned :D
> 
> 2.)The comic that Magneto's backstory came from is named 'Classic X-Men Vol. 1 #12 (1987)'. I read it in a comic book store and that instantly got me hooked onto the X-Men franchise! Here's hoping a tiny bit of his past will be featured in the final X-Men FC trilogy.
> 
> 3.) Because there have been SOO many fics relating to the divorce scene, I decided not to go into too much detail during that part. That scene will be forever embedded in our hearts, minds, and fanfics lol
> 
> 4.) It may get a little repetitive in terms of the nursery memories... so be warned!!!
> 
> Questions/Comments/Concerns/Insults/Thoughts of love??? Please feel free to write them down :D 
> 
> Take Care and Party Hard :0)


	36. Chapter 35

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all :0)
> 
> Here's another chapter :D FYI, we're still in Erik's mind :) 
> 
> Warning: Grammatical/Spelling errors and possibly slight OOC-ness!!!
> 
> I hope you enjoy!!!

_“What the actual fuck?!” Pietro cried after moments of silence.  
_

_Impossible. There was absolutely no way he had a twin. He would’ve remembered everything about her --her face, her attitude, her growth -- because it's who he is. The silver-haired mutant tried his hardest to deny this sudden revelation, but he knew deep down that this wasn’t a manipulated projection in Erik’s mind. He knew three things: his own mother and father lied to him for years, the existence of his twin was real, and that he wasn’t alone anymore. He couldn’t be. But who knows? Maybe he accidentally killed her while under War’s influence. Maybe she died long before he became a kid. Dozens of scenarios flew past Pietro’s head at neck-breaking speed, but in the end his mind always went back to that main thought: he had a twin. He turned back to the scene.  
_ _Baby Pietro, who was drifting off in Erik’s arms, suddenly jolted awake and began to reach for Wanda. The little baby girl awoke as well and began to whimper for her non-biological mother to put her down. The elder occupants glanced at each other before gently placing their cargo down onto the carpet floor. As Marya predicted, Pietro instantly began to walk towards Wanda, who was still crawling towards her brother. Once they met in the center of the room, the boy wrapped his little arms around Wanda’s head, pulling her into a small hug. Wanda let out a small laugh before picking up a wooden block and staring at it with such intensity. Marya and Erik looked away from the pair and slowly approached each other._

 _“Before you ask, I knew he was a mutant the moment I held him in my arms. Not every baby has white hair like his. Also, the adoption agency told me that the father was a mutant as well, but they never identified who he was.  I guess my long search is finally over.”  
_ _“A-And Wanda… is she also a-”  
_ _The wooden block was consumed in pink energy similar to Gambit’s. Wanda dedicated all of her concentration to the pink block that was now hovering a centimeter off the ground. The block violently wobbled from side to side, indicating that the girl was struggling to keep her hold on the object. After a few seconds, the block fell back down with a gentle thud. Wanda smiled to herself while Pietro began to clap wildly, letting out little squeals of laughter.  
_ _“Does that answer your question, Erik?”  
_ _Erik ignored Marya and slowly knelt down beside Wanda, who just acknowledged the man’s presence. They had an intense stare off, one fueled by curiosity and fear. Finally, after what seemed like decades, Wanda let out a small smile before grabbing Erik’s large index finger and sticking it in her mouth. The metal-bender smirked at the gesture before reaching his free hand towards her head to feel the brown hair. He was stopped however by another tiny hand grabbing his middle finger and forcing the entire hand onto the ground. Erik tried to reach for Wanda again but the same small hand prevented him from doing so. Erik’s eyebrows rose when he saw that Pietro was actually the one preventing him from touching Wanda. Just as a final test, Erik tried one last time to touch Wanda and as always, Pietro forced Erik’s hand back down.  
_ _“A protective one, isn’t he?”  
_ _“I know. He’s never left her by herself unless it was their bedtime. Those two have a special bond... an unbreakable bond.” She looked up at Erik. “I think he loves you too. You’re the first man he’s ever let hold and rock him to sleep. Hell, my boyfriend has tried many times, yet the little bundle would always rebel against him. It must be the connection you two have.”  
_ _“Yeah,” Erik absently said while staring down at Wanda,“it must be.”  
_ _Pride and affection were beaming from Erik’s eyes, directly aimed at both of his kids. The older Pietro also looked down at the pair, his eyes particularly glued to Wanda. So he had a twin who is (or was) a mutant like him. He couldn’t tell if he was joyful or fearful. These past couple of days and memories have really messed up his brain. Marya’s gentle voice tore his eyes away from the babies on the ground.  
_ _“You could stay here, you know? You could be their father like you were suppose to and help me raise them. Besides, I think having an elder mutant in my life will provide me with some idea on how to raise two newborn mut-”  
_ _“Absolutely not!” Both Pietro and Marya winced at the harshness in Erik’s tone. “I’m sorry,” he began more gently, “I can’t.” He lifted Pietro and cradled him in his arms, surprised at the fact that the baby didn’t resist his pull but rather cuddled closer. “You don’t know how much I would give to be their father -- to watch them grow into beautiful mutants. I would give up everything I have just to spend the rest of my life with them… with you.” He blew on the baby’s belly, earning him a squeal of laughter. “But certain circumstances are… you see I…”  
_ _“Erik, what’s the matter?”  
_ _“My presence will only endanger you all, Marya. Throughout my life, the filthy hands of self-righteous men have subjected me to torture and humiliation. My desire for justice, so to speak, has caught the attention of other men. Men who are merciless, violent, and brutish. One man in particular has no regard to the feelings and lives of others, making him an extremely deadly force. While I have begun my quest for justice, men like him have begun their quest for vengeance. I can’t be a part of your lives with these hunters lurking within the depths of night.”  
_ _“What did they do to you? Even better, what have you been doing to them?”  
_ _“They stripped me of my identity, my family, and my happiness. They herded people like myself in Concentration Camps like sheep, slaughtered almost all of them, and tried to cover their tracks by liberating the camps and hiding in all parts of the world. One particular man claimed my mother’s life and then proceeded to experiment on me! They took everything away from me!!” When Erik's voice wavered, Pietro attempted to comfort his father by cooing, as well as wrap his tiny hand around his middle finger. “Some of those men are still out there, roaming the streets and living their lives without a single trace of remorse.  Men like them enjoy the suffering of others. They enjoyed watching me scream on the metal slab and will enjoy taking you away from me if they found out our ties. I can’t afford to make others suffer because of my actions. You, Wanda, and Peter don’t deserve that.”  
_ _“I’m surprised you remembered what we decided the boy’s name would be.”  
_ _“How could I forget naming my own son? Although, if I could make a suggestion. Peter sounds informal and undignified. Perhaps if you named him-”  
_ _“Erik, if you’re so worried about men tracking you down to here, then why did you come here in the first place?”  
_ _“Because I wanted to see my son before I left. Magda left me long before I found out she was carrying Piet-Peter. When I found out that you were going to adopt him, I just had to see him-- just for a couple of minutes. After everything I’ve endured, seeing my own son alive and happy brings so much joy to my heart. And I know this joy will carry me through my darkest days that will bound to appear in the not too distant future.”  
_ _The ex-couple stared at each other in an attempt to silently express their true feelings. Both of them were overwhelmed by these revelations and surprises that seemed to constantly pop out of nowhere. They both knew that the night would end with Erik’s departure. All they had to do now was figure out how to spend their remaining moments together as a family. Wanda had fallen asleep on the floor, prompting Marya to scoop her tiny frame into her arms.  
_ _“I’m going to put this one back to bed. Did you want to say goodbye?”  
_ _Erik nodded and stood up with Pietro still wrapped in his arms. He leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead.  
_ _“Goodnight Wanda, meine süße tochter.”  
_ _Pietro leaned forward in Erik’s embrace and placed a tiny kiss on Wanda’s head as well. Erik and Marya smiled down at the baby._

 _When the girls were out of the room, Erik slid back down onto the carpet and began to hum the lullaby his own mother hummed to him when he was a little boy. Pietro cooed for a moment before readjusting his position so that he would lie more comfortably. As Erik hummed the tune, he took note at how much concentration and determination Pietro’s dark eyes held. He could tell that the baby was trying his hardest to embed the song into his own mind.  
_ _“My little lion,” Erik began when he finished the tune, “this lullaby holds a special place in my heart. It was the only thing that would comfort me and lull me into a dreamless sleep whenever I was distressed or ill. I want you to keep this in your own heart, okay? Hum it to your sister whenever you sense her moments of uncertainty, discouragement, and discomfort. She won’t forget the love and affection you’ll put into the tune. She’ll always love you for being the brother who’s always there for her. You understand, meine sohn?”  
_ _Pietro cooed and then yawned, sticking his thumb into his mouth. Erik smiled before slowly standing up and placing the infant back into his crib. He gently tucked the blue blanket around the small form, picked up Anya’s stuffed bunny, and slowly placed it right next to the baby.  
_ _“This, my dear son, is for only you to have. This belonged to someone who was my world… and now I want you to have it. Take good care of it for me, okay?”_ _Pietro pulled the stuffed animal closer to his chest, prompting Erik to bend down and kiss Pietro’s cheek._ _“I love you, Pietro Django Eisenhardt,” he whispered.  
_ _As soon as he pulled away from his son, he heard a tiny whimper coming from the infant. Pietro's lips were quivering while his eye held tears. He desperately extended his arms towards Erik. The metal-bender sighed and (once again) picked up the small figure. He lightly pressed his forehead against his baby’s.  
_ _“You’re making this a lot more harder than I imagined. Listen to me very carefully, my little one; neither time nor distance will ever prevent me from loving you. I'll always be by your side whenever you need me. Even while you sleep, I’ll be right here to guide you... to love you. Now, close your eyes...” The baby didn’t comply. “Pietro, close your eyes.”  
_ _He rocked the baby in a soothing manner while beginning the same lullaby for the third time this night. He never got tired of the tune and hoped that his son wouldn’t tire of it either. When he finished, he saw that his son had drifted off. Erik leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss on the boy’s forehead, his lips refusing to budge for a long while. He closed his eyes and transferred all of his love and happiness into the boy in the hopes that it would carry his son until he grew up to be his age. He felt tears burn his eyes but made no attempt to hide them. When he gained enough heart to remove his lips, he lowered the baby back into his crib, tucked the blanket around him, and pushed the bunny closer to the baby.  
_ _“Goodbye, meine wunderbare sohn. Ich werde dich immer lieben von ganzem herzen.”  
_ _He stroked the baby’s cheek one last time before walking out of the nursery._

_When he exited Marya’s beautiful home and began to walk down the empty and dark street, he heard a cry of sadness come from Pietro’s nursery. His response was to only quicken his pace down the road until the wails became echoes that the chilly wind carried off into the endless night sky._

_The real Pietro stood right in the center of the street, the familiar feeling of loneliness creeping through his veins. He sat down on the damp curb and suddenly let out a yell that perfectly mimicked Erik’s back in New York City. All of his memories, mistakes, tragedies, and emotions were finally released in a single yell that echoed throughout the night air. Once the yell died down, he buried his face in hands and began his attempts to suppress the tears. He struggled to regulate his breathing and tame his emotions. He didn’t know how long he had sat on the curb, but the presence of someone else brought him back to the present-past. He unhid his face and slowly looked up, only to find his dad standing above him. Unlike all of the projections, this Erik had some cuts and bruises covering his face. He looked pale, exhausted, and guilty. Before he could say anything, Pietro cut him off._

_“Don’t you even think about kicking the bucket yet, old man. We need to talk... **now!** ”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm shaking with excitement because I just saw the trailer for Suicide Squad! As a DC Comics fan, I'm SO pumped for this film *whispers* don't let me down, DC! Don't pull a 'Man of Steel'!  
> The next chapter will be the last one that takes place in Erik's head :) I promise :D
> 
> Questions/Comments/Concerns/Insults/Thoughts of love??? Please leave them in the comments :D
> 
> Take Care and Party Hard :0)


	37. Chapter 36

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all :0)
> 
> Here's another chapter :D 
> 
> Warning: Grammatical/Spelling errors and possibly slight OOC-ness!!
> 
> I hope you enjoy!!!

**(August 15, 1983. 10:15 AM)  
** Charles lowered his head so his arm-covered sweater could absorb the tears that continued to pour nonstop. He had always known that Erik alleviated the pain in order to get everyone off of his case. However, the rawness of the memories he and Pietro witnessed sucker-punched him hard. And although he refused to let his friend go like this, Charles now understood why Erik wanted to give up now. The fact that Erik remained strong throughout all of the psychological and physical torture proved that he was, indeed, a very strong mutant. That said, there’s only so much pain a man could take. The telepath took in a deep breath before diving back into the linked minds, anticipating the conversation that was about to begin.

 _“I suppose you have a lot of questions.”_  
_“Oh no man, I’m totally cool about my dying dad dropping the twin bombshell!” Pietro shot back sarcastically as he stood up. “Of course I have a lot of questions, dipshit! Why would you and mom keep this from me?! Why would you two lie to me for so long?!”_

 _The street under the moonlit night began to flicker. The setting kept switching from the night scene to the beach where the split up took place. After a few tense seconds, the pair found themselves standing on the sandy shore of-_  
_“Cuba? Not the satellite dish?”_  
_“Despite the horrid events that took place here, I find the gentle chops in the ocean quite relaxing. Perfect environment for reminiscence.”_  
_As Erik gingerly lowered himself onto the sandy surface, his son followed his father moments later. For a few seconds, they stared out into the clear sky in silence. Eventually, Pietro spoke up._  
_“How the hell could you keep something like that from me for so long? We had all of this time at the mansion and you tell me this now?”_  
_“I didn’t tell you about her existence because I forgot. If you hadn’t noticed, the world was ablaze and-”_  
_“Yet you still found time to open up with me and the others back at the mansion. Now tell me the fucking truth!”_  
_“Because I knew that the moment you found out about her existence, you would abandon us and blindly throw yourself into danger!”_  
_Pietro, taken aback by the sudden outburst, tore his gaze away from the view and looked at Erik. His father also looked away from the ocean and stared at Pietro. Both their eyes held confusion, anger, disappointment, and sadness. Pietro’s eyes hardened._  
_“So after all of this time, you still don’t trust me?”_  
_“Of course I do!”_  
_“Then why did you make the assumption that I would push away everyone I care about?! I’ve done everything you and Charles asked me to do without asking for anything in return. I’ve fought alongside you all, helped train and protect the younger students, and sacrificed my own family’s life and love just to follow your wishes! I died for you... yet you still believed that I would’ve abandoned you.”_  
_“Put yourself in my position for a minute, Pietro.”_  
_“Haven’t I already?” he asked while he motioned the scenic view around him._  
_“You get what I’m asking! Like myself, you’ve lost a lot of people in your life. The people that you would’ve died for paid the price in some way, right? Right?” Pietro nodded. “So you know what the feeling does to you! All of that death and despair consumes your senses and takes control-”_  
_“I’m not like that, Erik! I don’t let my anger take control of my-”_  
_“You snapped the man’s neck when he told me that Anya’s death was my fault.” That silenced Pietro. “You snapped the man’s neck a number of times because you love Lorna and would kill anyone who put her in harm’s way. No matter how good of a man you are, there will be moments when our desire to protect the ones we love gets the better of us. After losing your mother, I could see a change in your personality: you became more distant, hot-tempered, emotional, and driven. What if I had told you about Wanda’s existence earlier, when Apocalypse was still roaming the Earth?”_

 _Pietro stared down at the sand. He knew Erik was right: if he had found out that he had a twin earlier, he would’ve instantly ran off to find her, protect her, and love her. Before he could drown in guilt, he felt a hand gently grab his chin and pull it so that he would be looking back up at Erik._  
_“I have never doubted nor questioned your loyalty towards Charles, myself, and the others. The same goes for your love for us. And I’ve seen how those qualities amplify whenever Lorna or Marya came into the picture.That’s why I kept Wanda from you: you’re a passionate, fiercely protective, and loyal man. Those qualities, as spectacular as they are, can be dangerous. I knew that they, as well as the new revelation, would’ve blindly guided you to unseeable consequences. Consequences both you and I would possibly never fix.” Erik let go of his son’s chin. “I care about you, Pietro. I want you to live a long, happy, and prosperous life. And if I have to lie now and again to ensure my wishes, then so be it.”_  
_“I see where you’re coming from, I really do. But why would you tell me all of this now instead of burying it forever?”_  
_“Because I could never rest in peace knowing that I’d keep something like that from you. Pietro, now that the world is rid of scum like Apocalypse, I’m giving you the chance to find her. Charles can use Cerebro to track her down, you can go find her, and just be happy with her and Lorna.”_  
_“You’re making it sound like we’re going to patch things up and be one big happy family. There are a couple of things wrong with that: one, Lorna hates me now. And before you ask, she’s back at the mansion and told me to piss off before crying in Logan’s arm. Two, after all of these years apart, I’m pretty sure Wanda won’t want to be bothered by her estranged twin. Hell, she may not even be alive anymore for all I know. And three, even if I did get the band back together again, we still wouldn’t have our dad.”_  
_“All fathers and mothers die eventually.”_  
_“Yeah, but they usually don’t succumb to brain hemorrhages, shattered ribs, collapsed lungs, and a beam of amalgamated energy to the chest just a centimeter from the heart. They’re suppose to die of old age -- sitting in a rocking chair looking out at the sunset -- or lying in bed surrounded by generation after generation of their family. Dude, you can’t give up now. Charles and Raven won’t let you… I won’t let you.”_  
_“It’s for the best.”_  
_Pietro angrily shook his head. “So that’s it then? While Charles runs the school by himself, Raven is suppose to lead the Brotherhood of Mutants with her son, and I’m suppose to just run around the world looking for a sister who’s most likely dead? We're all suppose to deal with the aftermath of Apocalypse’s rampage while you’re sitting in a cloud?! You’re a fucking asshole, you know that?”_  
_“I beg your pardon?”_  
_“You can’t leave us after everything you’ve put us and the whole fucking world through! What happened to the guy who wanted to make amends with his friends, hmm? Why are you suddenly giving up on us?”_  
_“Because as long as I’m around, the ones I love will suffer! Have you learned nothing from what I’ve shown you?”_  
_“Sure! I’ve learned a lot. I’ve learned that you’re not the cold-hearted, pretentious, virtuous asshole you always present yourself to be. I’ve learned that what I’ve been through **pales**  in comparison to what you’ve been through. And I’ve learned that no matter how hard things got, you still somehow managed to get back up and hit the world twice as hard. You’re what, eighty-nine? One hundred and ten?”_  
_“I’m nearly forty six.”_  
_“Close enough. Look, you’ve still got a lot of time to fuck up! But you also have a lot of time to fix said fuck ups. So why cut it so short?”_  
_“Pietro… there’s only so much pain a man can take. What I’ve done to others, as well as what others have done to me, will continue to haunt me. The memories and long-lasting consequences of my actions continue to torture my soul. I just… I can’t take any more of it.”_  
_Pietro just stared at his father, whose gaze now went back to the endless sea. The silver-haired mutant was trying his damn hardest to conjure up something that would convince Erik to pull through and wake up. This wasn’t like the time he convinced Doreen to call her squirrel army off when some assholes mocked them on their way to the new Star Wars film. This time, the desire to end suffering was built up by endless torture. And this time, a life was hanging in the balance. Then, something clicked inside Pietro’s already fast-moving mind._  
_“But there’s something different about this. Unlike the previous times you’ve fallen, this time you have people who are more than happy to pick you right back up. Raven and Hank will help you physically return to health, while Charles will do more of the mental healing. The kids at the mansion will be your entertainers. And me… well, just being your son is my contribution.” Pietro gently patted his father’s shoulder. “Dad, as strange and painful as this may sound, you’re not alone in this world." Erik slowly met Pietro's dark yet gentle eyes. "We’ve all been hit by the world and, because of that, we’ve all found consolation and hope in this community. We've all grown to think of each other as family. Whether you like it or not, we all consider you a member of the Xavier School family. We're family, Erik, and we’ll always be by your side and help you pick yourself up when you fall.”_  
_As Erik stared at his son, taking in the heartfelt words, he could feel the corners of his mouth twitch upwards. After what seemed like a lifetime, Erik sighed and wrapped one of his arms around his son’s broad shoulders. Pietro smiled and leaned into the pull, resting his head against Erik’s shoulder blade._  
_“You gotta wake up, man,” Pietro whispered more to himself than Erik. “We can’t do this without you. You’re a part of the Xavier family and literally are a part of my own family. Just like you have done with us so many times, we’ll be right by your side until the end.” A beat. "God, when did I become so dramatic_ _?"_

 _Suddenly, the scene around the pair began to flicker once again. This time however, the view alternated between the beach and the waking reality. Pietro felt a light pull tugging his shirt. He looked over his shoulder and realized that nobody was behind him and acting as the source of the pulling. He also realized that the warmth Erik’s body provided him began to slowly fade away. He snapped his dark eyes to Erik’s blue ones._  
_“Erik?”_  
_The metal-bender didn’t respond automatically. He looked like he was concentrating very hard on something, almost as if he was battling his inner self. The smell, feeling, and sight of the beach faded away and was replaced with endless darkness. Pietro could still see his father sitting beside him. A thick trail of blood began to trickle down the mutant’s nose while sweat began to appear on his brow._  
_“Erik? What are you doing?”_  
_The light pull on Pietro’s shirt became much more violent and strong. “P-Pietro… I-I’m sor-”_  
_“What?! No no no no no! Erik please, you can’t do this to me! I-I need you!!!” Pietro could hear the sound of medical machines beeping loudly. “Please!!”_  
_“Goodbye…”_  
_Before Pietro could yell out anything more, he was violently pulled out of the darkness._

His eyes flew open and he found himself launching out of the chair he was sitting on. When he regained his bearings, he saw Charles staring at the wailing machines. Pietro zipped up to the opposite side of Erik’s bed and stared down at his father. Then, as quickly as it began, the loud shrieks and beeping stopped. Both Charles and Pietro felt their hearts skip a beat. Their anxiety rose to unimaginable levels.  
“Dad?” Pietro whispered fearfully.  
**Beep........... Beep.......... Beep........ Beep Beep........... Beep Beep......... Beep Beep....... Beep Beep..... Beep Beep.... Beep Beep. Beep Beep.**  
While Pietro’s head snapped back to the heart monitor, Charles directed all of his attention to Erik. He began to gently stroke his friend’s hair while silently encouraging him back to the land of awareness.  
_'You’re okay, my friend. Everything is fine. You can come back to us now. I’ve got you.'  
_ And then, fate decided to smile upon the group of men in the room and brought Erik back to the land of the living.

Charles couldn’t stop the small sob of joy when he saw Erik’s glassy yet pain-filled blue eyes slowly show themselves after spending a month in darkness. After a few hazy moments, Erik;s eyes found his friend and sluggishly scanned his face, checking for any physical injuries. Pietro looked down at the newly-awakened mutant, a large smile appearing on his face.  
“Oh thank God,” he breathed out.  
He was about to speak again when he took in the scene in front of him. The pair of old friends stared at each other with amounts of love and relief that Pietro himself only showered Lorna with. He watched Charles use his free hand to dip a small towel into in a bowl of cool water sitting on the counter, squeeze out the excess liquid, and gently dab his friend’s sweaty brow, mindful of the gashes and cuts that still marked Erik's forehead.  
“There you are,” Charles quietly whispered to Erik.  
Pietro smiled down at the pair before slowly walking towards the exit.  
“Where are you going?”  
“Right now, I think he just needs his best friend. I’ll have plenty of time to talk with him later.”  
Before he could leave the lab, Charles’ warm voice stopped him.  
“Pietro? Thank you for bringing him back to us. I owe you so much-”  
“You don’t owe me or anyone else here a damn thing, Professor. You never have...”  
“I’m sure your father is just as proud of you as I am.”  
The other mutant smiled. He turned back around and was greeted by a panting Hank.  
“W-What happened? I heard the machines go off and-”  
“A little slow there, Poindexter. Let’s go and leave these two alone for now.”  
“But-”  
“Trust me.”  
Pietro led Hank out of the medical lab, leaving Charles alone to watch over his friend. Erik’s eyes began to flutter in an attempt to stay awake. Charles tossed the towel aside while he continued to rhythmically stroke his friend’s hair.  
“You can rest now, Erik. Just don’t drift off to a place where I can’t reach you. Sleep.”  
Erik’s eyes slid shut and he instantly dozed off into a deep slumber, his head lolling to the side to face Charles. When he was sure that his friend had fallen asleep, he slowly removed his hand from the ginger’s hair. Charles sighed, rubbing his free hand over his own empty scalp. His blue eyes scanned over his friend’s form: despite still being in critical condition, Erik looked more peaceful than he ever has following the final confrontation. Still, that didn't stop the telepath from soothing Erik's mind so he'd have a peaceful slumber. Eventually, the telepath found himself resting his head on Erik’s bedside, his forehead gently pressed against Erik’s. He closed his eyes, taking in the emotions he’s suppressed for a month now, and smiled.

“Thank you for not giving up on us,” he whispered to his sleeping friend. “Thank you for not giving up on me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a.) definitely ooc and b.) the final chapter taking place inside Erik's mind :0)
> 
> Questions/Comments/Concerns/Insults/Thoughts of love?? Please feel free to write them down in the comments below!!! Everything written in the comments is valued :D
> 
> Take Care and Party Hard :0)


	38. Chapter 37

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all :0)
> 
> Here's another chapter :D It features a familiar face ;)
> 
> Warning: Grammatical/Spelling errors and possibly slight OOC-ness!!!
> 
> I hope you enjoy!!!

**(August 17, 1983. 11:52 AM)  
** Despite the fact that he wasn’t even fully conscious yet, Erik could sense the presence of someone else sitting by his bedside. He licked his dry lips before slowly opening his eyes. The bright laboratory lights ignited an intense throbbing sensation in his skull. He unintentionally let out a whimper so soft that only the most sensitive ears would’ve picked it up. But then, a hand gently rubbing his right arm anchored him back to reality, preventing him from going back under. He focused on the gentle touch and forced himself to open his eyes once more.

When the world stopped blinding him, he could finally make out a relieved Charles Xavier smiling at him. Erik was about to return the smile but he felt two intrusive and irritating things sticking in his nose. He lifted a shaky hand to remove whatever were in his nostrils but the sight of an IV taped to a vein on his right hand stopped him. He inspected his hand as a newborn baby would, his curious and confused eyes taking in every detail. Once he was done, he let his hand fall limply back onto the bed and sighed.  
“Must’ve been pretty serious,” he rasped out to his friend.  
“Brilliant deduction, my friend,” Charles replied as he handed Erik a glass of water.  
Erik gulped the glass down, handed it back, and let out a small smile of gratitude. After a few moments of silence, the metal-bender began to ask his many questions.  
“You all okay?”  
“Yeah we are. Some of us are still shaken by this whole ordeal, but I think things are now slowly getting back to normal.”  
“Great. So what happened back there?”  
“Well, you suddenly decided to play hero and took an enormous amount of amalgamated kinetic energy to the chest. It just barely missed your heart and you’ve been in a coma for a month now. Do you want me to list off all of the injuries you obtained this past month?”  
“I’m aware of my current condition, Charles. I’m talking about you. How are you still alive?”  
“I-I honestly have absolutely no idea.”  
“Well what do you remember?”  
“I remember seeing Warren standing behind me, a knife drawn from his armor. He apologized to me before stabbing me right here.” He placed his hand over his chest. “I saw whiteness and then I saw him.”  
“Him?”  
“Sinister. H-He told me that he has big plans for this world and that my powers are vital for his cause. What do you think he meant by that?”  
“No bloody clue. Did you tell Gambit this piece of information?”  
“I did and he’s currently on the road trying to track him down. Anyhow, Sinister revived me and I woke up next to Cerebro. The bastard could’ve healed my legs, but I guess that would’ve been too much of a hassle.”  
“The wound must not have been fatal then. Seeing how some mutants and human mutates work, they can only heal so much. Your wound must’ve been small in comparison to paralysis.”  
“Maybe you’re right.” After a few seconds, Charles looked back at Erik. “It doesn’t matter at the moment. All I’m focusing on is the school and your recovery.” He saw his friend’s eyelids begin to droop with exhaustion. “We’ll talk about this later. I promise. Right now you need to give your body the chance to heal, okay?”  
“Okay,” Erik mumbled. “Glad to hear that your dreams of running a school have finally become a reality. You deserve it.”  
“Thank you. Although I have to admit, I couldn’t have done it without your help.”  
“I didn’t do a thing, my friend. I never did. The success of this place is all on you. It was your resilience, compassion, and determination that made this institution what it is today. You should be proud of yourself.”  
Charles smiled and placed a gentle hand on Erik’s shoulder. “Well… I’m glad you held on long enough to hear about the mansion's expansion. Once you get back on your feet, I'll give you an official tour. But for now, just rest.”

Erik was more than happy to follow Charles’ request. Within a few seconds, he let sleep claim his senses.

 **(August 18, 1983. 12:00 PM)**  
“Hello monsieur.”  
Pietro, who had been listening to music on his tape player outside, jumped in surprise at the unexpected and unfamiliar voice. He removed his headset, looked to his right, and found himself staring into Remy LeBeau’s brown eyes. Pietro’s own dark eyes widen with fascination when he saw the man shuffle cards with a supernatural amount of grace and ease.  
“Not bad,” he casually said, hiding the internal excitement. “Are you some kind of magician?” Before Remy could reply, the speedster zipped past him and held onto a little notebook. “Nope, you’re not a magician. I mean, unless you’re an overpriced magician who charges four hundred dollars for a single performance. But hey, I’m not complaining: a guy’s gotta make a living somehow. By the way, what’s with this metal pole?”  
Remy shook the cobwebs from his brain and stared at the mutant, who somehow got his hands on his staff and notebook, with amusement and surprise.  
“That metal pole is a staff. And who gave you permission to search through my pockets?”  
“Nobody. I gave myself permission. The staff is kinda wimpy looking if you ask me.” He tossed the items back to the gambler. “What’s your name?”  
“Some call me Gambit, others call me Remy LeBeau. I’m guessin’ you’re Erik’s son?”  
“How’d you know that?”  
“He and I had a little discussion about you while Apocalypse was roamin’ the streets. So kid, should I address you as Quicksilver, Pietro, or Pete?”  
“Whatever floats your boat, man.” They shook hands. “What’s your pow-”  
Remy charged a playing card and flung it at a statue, completely obliterating it. To Pietro’s amusement, the other mutant continued to shuffle his cards as if nothing happened.  
“So what brings you here?”  
“Wanted to give Xavier an update regardin’ Sinister, a man you’ve not heard of yet. There ain’t no rush though. I-”  
“Sinister? Who’s that? He sounds like a badass. Is he a mutant or human? What powers does he have? How do you two know him? Is he like Apocalypse in terms of lifespan? How-”  
“Easy kid, my head’s gonna explode if you keep askin’ me all of these questions. To sum him up, he ain’t any ordinary human mutate. Nor is he the kindest. He’s one tough, sadistic, manipulative, and powerful bastard. Xavier and I have had encounters with the fella and we’re tryin’ to get to the bottom of this situation.”  
“So he’s another asshole?”  
“Basically.” A beat. “I heard about what happened to your family, monsieur. You know, with Marya and Lorna. My deepest condolences.”  
Pietro shrugged. “What’s done is done. Right now, I just need to get away from this place and start a new part of my life, you know?”  
“So what’s keepin’ you from leavin’ right now?”  
“My dad. I want to talk to him before I go.”  
“Where you headin’ in such a rush?”  
“Wherever she is…”  
Whoever this she was, Remy didn’t want to nag the boy with more questions. He remained silent for a while, staring at the enormous satellite dish, before clearing his throat.  
“Well, I best be off to find Xavier.”  
“Okay. It was nice meeting you, man. Hey, maybe when you’re done, you could teach me how to shuffle cards like you!”  
Remy smirked. “We’ll see. Au revoir!”

Both mutants were caught off guard when they turned around to be greeted by Charles’ blue eyes fondly staring at the pair.  
“I see that you’ve made a new friend, Pietro.”  
“I see your cure for dandruff is still running strong, Bolfeld.”  
Charles rolled his eyes. “Please forgive me, Mr. LeBeau. Welcome back!”  
“Merci. I heard that you’re runnin’ the place really well. Congrats on the school.”  
“Thank you. We can talk inside about Sinister but before we do, I need to tell Pietro something important.”  
Pietro tilted his head. “And what is that?”  
“I found your sister, Wanda. She’s currently residing in Eastern Europe, Russia to be more exact.”  
“Sh-She’s alive? H-How did you find her?!”  
“After your brief demise, Hank took a blood sample from you to keep in his database. When I found out that you had a twin, I asked Hank to break apart your DNA and install it into Cerebro’s own database. I also memorized each strand as well.”  
“That ain’t creepy at all,” Remy mumbled.  
“Anyhow, using Cerebro, I managed to track down a mutant your age that shares almost the exact same DNA. I figured that’s a start.”  
“I-I can’t believe it. I’m finally going to meet her! Oh god, is she going to have a weird accent like his?” He pointed at Remy, who raised his eyebrow.  
“I have no idea. I couldn’t see, hear, or read her. I could only see the similar DNA patterns.”  
“So she’s a telepath as well?”  
“My guess is yes, but I’m not entirely sure. But at least now you have somewhere to start.”  
Pietro patted Charles on the back. “Thank you so much, Professor.”  
“After everything you’ve been through and have done for this school, it’s the least I could do.” He returned to Remy. “Now, about Sinister-”  
“Small world, ain’t it? Xavier, the mutate is located in Russia as well. The last sightin’ that comes close to what you encountered was in Russia. And knowin’ him, he probably wants to expand The Maraurder’s powers by reachin’ out to more diverse communities.”  
The other two mutants were surprised at the coincidence. Suddenly, Remy felt an arm wrap around his shoulders.  
“Well, it looks like I have my traveling buddy! You’ll pay for the food and plane tickets while I pay for… miscellaneous.”  
“If by pay, you mean steal?” Charles asked.  
“Exactly!”  
“I ain’t so sure ‘bout that,” Remy chimed in. “You’re a really nice fella and it’d be kinda intrestin’ to have some company. But after the battle in New York, I’m pretty sure that he’s more pissed than he’s ever been. After all, we did kill all of his mercenaries in the sewers. I just don’t want you to get hurt while aidin' me with my own personal affairs. Plus, won’t your daddy be against this idea?”  
“Dude, I’ve grown up without him for twenty six years. I’m pretty sure I can make my own decisions by now. Besides, I’m gonna be hanging around there to find my sister. I won’t get involved with your personal life at all. Might as well kill two birds with one stone.”  
After a few moments of silence, Charles cleared his throat. “Well Pietro, if Remy allows you to accompany him, you need to at least inform Erik about your plans. After everything he’s been through, I don’t think he’ll appreciate waking up to find out that his son traveled to Europe without saying goodbye at least.”  
“That was the plan, Professor. Speaking of Erik, did he ever wake up after the little mind trip?”  
“Yes he did in fact. Yesterday morning, he briefly came around. I’d say it’ll be a couple more days until he’ll be able to stay awake longer than a minute. Maybe then you can talk with him.” He turned to Remy. “Now, how about you and I go into the mansion and dive deeper into your discoveries.”  
Remy politely bowed his head before following the older mutant towards the mansion. “See you later, Pete! Maybe tomorrow, I’ll teach you how to play spades.”  
Pietro smirked and zipped off to his own room.

He ran up to his bed and instantly plopped onto the soft mattress, impatiently waiting for sleep to claim him. After a while, he began to linger on the line between oblivion and awareness: while his eyes and ears deflected his surroundings, his sense of feeling still remained alert. This fact was confirmed when he felt a small hand slowly lift his arm. Pietro could feel a small frame slowly slide beside him and nuzzle itself closer to his side. He didn’t even have to open his eyes to know that the person beside him was Lorna. Like he’s always done, he turned onto his side and protectively tightened the arm around her. He opened his eyes and saw Lorna snuggled next to him, her own green eyes staring up at him. He lifted his free hand and gently ran it through her smooth hair.   
“P-Petey.”  
He had always dreamed of ‘Peter’ being the first thing she said. That or ‘get bent.’ And although her first words to him weren’t exactly what he had hoped, the fact that she still said his name, or some form of it, brought so much happiness in this time of uncertainty. He wrapped both of his arms around her small frame and pulled her into a gentle yet protective hug. He kissed her forehead.  
“I’m sorry you had to see me like that,” he whispered. “And I'm sorry that I left you back in DC. But I promise that I won’t let anyone hurt you ever again.”  
He began to hum the same tune he’s hummed her since her birth. The same tune Erik hummed him that one night so many years ago. The same tune he intended to share with Wanda.  
“Aww,” a voice whispered from his doorway. “Would you look at that.”  
Logan, Hank, Raven, and Alex were all peeking through the crack in his door with warm smiles on their faces. Suddenly, Kurt appeared in front of him and took a quick photo of the siblings lying on the bed. He teleported back next to his mother, who took the camera from him and pressed a gentle kiss to the blue skin.  
“You’ll thank me for it later,” she assured the silver-haired mutant.  
Before Pietro could come up with some kind of snarky remark, all of the bystanders quietly left the reunited pair alone. The runner let a small smile slip past him before turning all of his attention back to his little sister who now laid asleep beside him.

He himself finally succumbed to rest. But unlike previous times, he now slept feeling content. He had his sister back with him, and that’s all that mattered right now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two or three more chapters to go :D
> 
> Questions/Comments/Concerns/Insults/Thoughts of love?? Please feel free to write them in the comments below! 
> 
> Take Care and Party Hard :0)
> 
> P.S: Because I like writing a lot and enjoy the X-Men franchise, I may actually write a sequel for this story! I'm not entirely sure of the main plot, but all I can say is that it will be original (so unlike this story, it won't feature that many X-Men film/comic references) and will instead focus on where this story left off. Like I said earlier, there's a bit more to come and that will all drive the second story's main/sub plot.  
> Thoughts? Please write them down :D


	39. Chapter 38

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all :0)
> 
> Here's another chapter :D 
> 
> Warning: Grammatical/Spelling errors and possibly slight OOC-ness!!!
> 
> I hope you enjoy!!!

**(August 23, 1983. 06:19 PM)  
** A six pack to his right, a portable radio on his left, and a beautiful sunset right in front of him -- this was exactly what Pietro Maximoff needed at the moment.

For the past couple of days, he hovered over his little sister like a drone, constantly watching her interact with the other occupants at the mansion while monitoring her growth. As the days went by, Pietro noticed just how much fun Lorna seemed to have at the mansion. Just like Anya, she always made the ones who passed by her smile. She always pointed at objects and people and cooed random nonsense, substituting what would eventually become real questions. Despite her extremely limited vocabulary, Lorna’s energy and love for her surroundings were heard loud and clear. Her older brother could tell that Lorna loved it at the Xavier Mansion… which only made the decision to leave for Russia a lot harder.

A sudden poof from behind him caused him to not jump in surprise, but to sigh and roll his eyes in annoyance.  
“For the tenth time Kurt, I won the bet fair and square! So stop asking me for your fifty dollars-”  
He stopped mid sentence when he found himself staring at an exhausted yet smiling Erik Lehnsherr. The muscle he lost while in a coma was beginning to reappear, while the cuts and bruises from combat began to fade away. His left hand. which was once swathed in bandages, was now free of the itchy cloth, revealing the almost healed bite wound. Despite the physical improvements, he still had to lean on a crutch for support. Kurt nodded to Erik before bowing his head to the silver-haired mutant. He then vanished in a blink of an eye.

“Look who finally decided to get off his lazy ass and-” Pietro noticed that Erik was swaying a bit. “Woah woah woah, easy man.”   
He zipped up to the metal-bender and helped him sit down on the dish. Once that was done, Pietro sat down beside him, his eyes scanning the older mutant for any new physical injuries. They sat in silence for a while, both of them taking pleasure in just listening to the radio and watching the beautiful sunset. It was Erik who broke the silence.  
“How are your wounds?”  
“Shouldn’t I be asking you that? After all, you’re the one with the laundry list of injuries.”  
“But I’m not the one who actually succumbed to my wounds. Remember, you died from blood loss and fatal laceration wounds on your chest and back. Not to mention the three puncture wounds that sliced your intestines. After your resurrection, I never got the chance to ask if you were okay.”  
“Thanks for your concern old man, but I’m fine. Occasionally the stomach wounds ache a bit and my legs spazz out when I run too fast, but besides that I think I’ll physically be okay.”  
“And emotionally?”  
The lack of response spoke loud and clear. Erik, who was responsible for the suffering of countless humans and mutants, was no stranger to guilt. Numerous memories of his failures kept him up many nights: Anya’s death, Magda's departure, Charles’ paralysis, and Pietro’s death to name a few. He could easily detect the immense guilt radiating off of his son.  
“The damage done isn’t on you. It never has been and it never will be. Apocalypse and his henchmen tricked you and killed you. They forced you to become their puppet and partake in their destruction.”  
“That still doesn’t justify what I’d done during those days, Erik. Those were my hands snapping necks and stabbing skulls. Those were my legs carrying soldiers and civilians to their deaths.” Pietro looked directly into Erik’s blue eyes, tears beginning to slowly build up in his own dark ones. “Innocent people are dead because of me. My friends are afraid to approach me because of what I’d done. I nearly killed you… and that’s something I’ll never forgive myself for.”  
“My current state isn’t entirely your doing. If you don’t recall, the beam of kinetic energy was the most severe injury I received and-”  
“The compound skull fracture and shattered ribs -- those two are on me. I fucking made your skull bleed from the inside! The Professor couldn’t access your consciousness because of me…” Erik remained silent. “You know what the worst part about that fuckfest was? I actually enjoyed War’s possession for a while. I relished the enhancements that made me faster and stronger. I could see cops lifting their guns from a mile away and appear at their side in less than a millisecond. I could disarm seventy five men in no more than a few seconds. I was invincible, a feeling I should’ve fought but instead embraced. I liked feeling indestructible. I liked feeling… free.” Pietro felt a couple of tears slide down his cheek, forcing him to quickly wipe them away. “If it wasn’t for the fact that I was hurting you and my friends, I wouldn’t have wanted War to ever leave me. I’m probably the biggest asshole to ever live…”

Pietro closed his eyes, unable to look at his father anymore. He meant every word that was coming out of his mouth: everything was his fault… and he actually didn’t mind it for a long time. He missed being possessed by an evil, biblical spirit. He missed feeling indestructible and unstoppable. He wished those enhancements were still in him, the enhancements that nearly killed his last remaining family member. He felt Erik’s hand gently cup the back of his head, fingers sliding into the silver hair, and guide his head so that he would be facing Erik. The metal-bender used his free hand to gently wipe away a couple of tears that Pietro missed.  
“I want you to listen to me very carefully, Pietro. None of what happened back there is on you. The fact that you acknowledged your deeds and finally fought against hedonistic pleasures makes you stronger than Apocalypse and his Horsemen could ever make you. Nobody -- not even Jean or Raven -- broke free from their captors. You are the only one who did. What does that say about you? No matter what you or others believe, know that your ability to see right from wrong, to abandon the comfort power gives you, and to admit your doings makes you more stronger and powerful than me or any man who walks the planet.”  
Erik slowly let go of Pietro’s head and watched the runner take in his words. A couple of moments later, Pietro nodded and smiled at his father.  
“You have no idea how sappy you sounded back there. Then again, you have no idea just how much I needed to hear that right now. So thanks, old man. I really mean it.”  
Erik patted his son’s shoulders before looking back out into the distance. He then addressed the next big topic on his mind. A topic he knew occupied Pietro’s mind as well.  
“I was informed that your sister is alive-”  
“Who? Lorna? Did you get brain damage or something after I slammed that brick into your head?”  
“Lorna isn’t who I was talking about. Charles told me that Wanda's located in Russia.”  
“Oh… he did?”  
“He also told me that you have plans to travel to Europe with Gambit to find her while aiding him in his quest to confront Sinister.”  
“Is there anything else he told you that I’m not aware of?”  
“Only that you talk in your sleep, but I already knew that piece of information. Why didn’t you tell me any of your plans?”  
“ ‘Cause big-mouth over there beat me to it. I was going to tell you about her today.” Erik didn’t look convinced. “I’m serious, dude! It’s just… after everything we’ve been through, I wasn’t sure how you’d react to the idea of me leaving America to find an estranged twin.”  
Erik swallowed to try to hide the worry and hurt threatening to spill out of his mouth. “You’re an adult now, Pietro. You’re entitled to make your own decisions.”  
Pietro eyed his father suspiciously. “Are you just saying this to make me feel less guilty about leaving you?”  
“Not at all. But I have to ask, what do you intend to do with Lorna? I suspect that you won’t want to drag her along your journey.”  
“I haven’t figured that part out yet. Originally, I planned on bringing her with us to Russia. But seeing her now, I can tell that she loves it here. She’s surrounded by students who'll protect and love her just as much as I do. I’m just afraid of leaving her again. Last time I left her alone, she nearly got killed by Apocalypse and disliked me for a while. I just want her to be happy and safe. I need to find Wanda, but I don’t want Lorna to vanish from my life. After all, I did promise that I’d never let anything happen to her again. Maybe you could watch over her for a while. At least until I come back home, which I plan on doing before you ask.”  
“I highly doubt you’d want your sister to associate herself with The Brotherhood.”  
“So you’re actually going to get the band back together? I’m not so sure that’s such a great idea. Why don’t you spend your energy helping Charles out or, I don’t know, becoming an engineer of some kind. The world needs more engineers and could use someone with your abilities to help them out. Plus, that job has been known to attract a lot of women.”  
“There are men out there hunting you and Raven down. They continue to experiment on our kind, ignoring the fact that it was us that saved the world. I won’t be able to sleep at night knowing that ignorant and dangerous humans will roam the streets looking for numerous ways to hurt already oppressed mutants.”  
Pietro didn’t want to argue: if this group kept Erik alive and happy, then so be it.  
“You could join The Brotherhood. You, Gambit, and Wan-”  
“The last thing I want is for Wanda or Lorna to get involved with any law enforcers or government officials. Your group, as amazing as it is, has been known to attract sketchy men. I don’t want to throw them into a life of constant traveling, suicide missions, and violence. “  
“Pietro-”  
“If Anya were alive, would you want her to join your group?”  
“Absolutely not.”  
“So why are you surprised that I don’t want either of my siblings anywhere near the group? I’m not trying to hurt you in any way, Erik. I just want them to be safe.”  
“... I understand.”  
And that was that. Despite the quick conclusion, there was so much more to be said between the two: the fears, the hurt, the sadness, and the appreciation that lingered in their hearts were important but became unaddressed.  
“When are you heading to Russia?”  
“Probably within the next week or so.”  
“I thought you were in a hurry to see her.”  
“I thought I was too… but every now and again I need to take things slow.” Pietro smirked at Erik, who returned the gesture. “So what do we do until then?”

Erik didn’t respond. Pietro didn’t chastise him for it. All they did was watch the sunset together, listening to whatever classic hit played on the now turned down radio. They let the question linger in the air because neither one of them knew the answer.

 **(August 29, 1983. 06:45 AM)  
** Pietro was walking down a corridor with a medium-sized duffle bag on his shoulder, a little sister sitting in his arm, and a young shadow-merger he considered a little brother right on his heels. He was about to knock on Erik’s door, which was left slightly open, but the sound of hushed voices stopped him.

“You should tell him how you feel.” It was Raven. “Coming from someone who’s just getting the hang of the whole mother thing, I know how you’re feeling.”  
“He wouldn’t understand.” Erik. “He’s not like Kurt, Raven. Pietro is much more independent and adventurous. He follows his heart instead of logic or authority. No matter how hard I’ll try, his desire to find his twin will overshadow my hope for him to stay here. It’s just- After all of this time apart, I finally got to bond with my son and act like a father. Despite the occasional life-threatening injuries and life-alternating discoveries along the way, he and I have had some beautiful moments together and-”  
“You’re not afraid that he’ll get hurt. You’re afraid that he’ll forget you,” Raven concluded.  
“Losing someone you love in combat is one thing… but losing them because of time and distance is unbearable. Knowing that they are somewhere in the world --meeting new people, making new memories, creating a life possibly better than the one they originally had -- is painful. All of the effort you put into loving and protecting them feels either unnoticed or unappreciated. You feel as if the time spent together was nothing more than a detour along the main destination trail. You don’t feel important anymore.”  
Those words slapped Pietro right in the face. He actually felt dizzy for a second in his attempts to comprehend what was being revealed behind the door.  
“You’re taking your son to California, Charles will remain here in New York, and Pietro is heading off to Russia in an hour or two. It feels like I’m losing my family all over again.”  
From the crack in the door, Pietro could see Raven gently cupping Erik’s face with her blue (yes she was in her mutant form) hand. She pressed her forehead against his.  
“You’re an idiot, Magneto. All of the shit you put me, Charles, and Peter through will always be an important part of our lives. And as painful as those memories are, they shaped who we are today. You've done so much to and for us, and nobody will ever forget you. Besides, it’s hard to forget an asshole like yourself.”  
That final remark brought a smile to Erik’s face. Then, as Pietro had predicted, they kissed. Lorna used her chubby hand to push the door in order to get a better view of the pair. She let out a tiny smile while quietly cooing. Dallas’ face was scrunched up in disgust. After a few more moments of watching the pair, Pietro decided to ruin their intimate moment.  
“Booo,” he called from the doorframe, “you two are on a bed!! Where’s the action?! I came here to see metal flying everywhere or some acrobatic stuff!! Ugh, this room is dead.”  
The two pulled away from each other, both of them slightly flushing with embarrassment. Once everyone composed themselves, Pietro cleared his throat.  
“Remy’s waiting for me at the interstate a couple of hours from here. You wanna come, old man? Charles and some others are waiting at the foyer to say goodbye. But I figured that you and I could spend a couple more hours together.”  
Erik nodded almost too excitedly before exiting his room with his son and partner behind him.

The first person he said goodbye to was Alex, a man he considered his closest friend at the mansion. He shook the blonde’s hand.  
“Be careful out there, man. Feel free to swing by here and grab a drink with me. I’ll miss our drunk antics and hell-raising schemes.”  
“Right back at you, Alex. Look after Scotty, okay?”  
“That was the plan.”  
“Also, pass on these things to him: a) he sucks at flirting, b) he sucks at gambling, and c) he’s a natural-born leader and I hope to see him leading these kids in the future.”  
“I’ll be sure to tell him all that you said. See you soon, Pete.”  
Jean was next. She looked very upset about his departure, so he simply pulled her into a hug.  
“Thank you for saving me,” Jean whispered.  
“Anytime. Don’t let anyone here, not even Scotty, hold you down. And don’t ever feel like you can’t talk to anyone about some shit you’re going through, okay?”  
Jean nodded before letting go of her friend. Dallas simply leapt onto the boy and held onto him as if he were a lifeline. Pietro tightly hugged the boy back and whispered words of reassurance.  
“I’m coming back, kiddo. Don’t worry. Until then, promise me that you and Doreen will watch over Lorna for me.”  
Dallas wiped away some tears before tearing himself away from Pietro. Doreen, along with her pack of squirrels, gave the older mutant a quick hug before running off with Dallas. Despite their quick encounter, they both knew that a.) they would see each other again and b.) that Lorna would be in great hands. The others departed, leaving just Charles, Raven, and Hank left. Pietro sighed and moved to stand in front of the two blue mutants.  
“I guess this is it, Poindexter.”  
“Apparently. Stay out of trouble, okay Pete?”  
“Can’t promise you anything. Try to get out more, okay nerd?” Hank smirked before shaking his friend’s hand. “Thanks for everything, Hank. If it wasn’t for you, Apocalypse would still be roaming the streets and I’d never be able to run ever again. If you need anything, I’ll be ready to help you. Just try not to need me for a couple of months, okay?”  
“Deal.”  
Pietro approached Raven. “Last chance to take up my offer to buy you a drink or ten.”  
She rolled her eyes and quickly shoved a piece of paper in his face. He inspected the paper and realized that he was staring down at the photo Kurt took of him and Lorna a few days ago.  
“Raven… I-”  
“Told you you’d thank me,” she simply replied. “I hope to see you again, Peter.”  
“Dito. Remember, don’t let anyone give you crap about your looks. In the end, they’re not the ones you should be fighting for.” Raven smiled at the comment. “Say goodbye to Kurt for me, will you? ”  
She nodded before pressing a small kiss to his cheek. Hank and Raven said goodbye one last time before departing. Charles was left.  
“Professor… I don’t even know where to begin. You’ve done so much for me and everyone else here that I feel kinda lame to just tell you how grateful I am for all of your love.”  
Charles placed a gentle hand on Pietro’s forearm. “You can thank me by staying out of trouble and staying in touch. You’re welcome here anytime, my friend.”  
Pietro extended his hand out for his mentor- no, his friend- to take. They shook hands and smiled at each other, both men not wanting the handshake to end.  
Pietro spoke up. “Thanks for seeing the best in everyone. The world needs more people like you… Don’t ever change, okay?”  
“I wouldn’t dream of it, Pietro.”  
They let go and were about to go their separate ways when suddenly, PIetro remembered something. He quickly went through his duffel and tossed Charles-  
“Here’s the number for Adam and Eve’s Hair Replacement Center. Heard they invented some kind of spray that helps your hair grow back within a couple of days. Also, here’s a wig!”  
Charles stared down at the brown wig in the shape of a mullet. He was trying to figure out if he was pissed or extremely happy at Pietro’s efforts.  
All that came out was, “Fuck you, Quicksilver.”  
“Adios Charles,” Pietro called as he ran out the door. "Glad you like it!!!"

Erik, who was patiently waiting for his son out in the driveway, was startled when he saw Pietro standing right beside him.  
“He like your present?”  
“He’ll probably burn it within the next minute. But hey, it was worth it.”  
Erik smiled before entering the driver’s seat. Pietro sat down in the passenger’s seat, looked behind him and saw Lorna sitting in her booster-seat with anticipation and excitement.  
“Feel free to speak up along the way, Lo.” His remark earned him a giggle. “You ready to hit the road?”

The British mutant nodded before driving Pietro away from the Xavier mansion, the place they both proudly called home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only two more chapters :/
> 
> I'll write a much better thank you later! But until then, thank you to anyone who left kudos/comments/hits!! They really mean a lot to me and encourage me to keep writing :D
> 
> Questions/Comments/Concerns/Insults/Thoughts of love?? Please feel free to write them in the comments below :0)
> 
> Take Care and Party Hard :0)


	40. Chapter 39

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all :0)
> 
> Here's another chapter!!! 
> 
> Warning: Grammatical/Spelling errors and possibly slight OOC-ness!!
> 
> I hope you enjoy!!!

**(August 29, 1983. 10:55 AM)  
** Considering that Erik was still recovering from his adventures a month ago, it didn’t really surprise Pietro when he found himself doing most of the driving. In fact, Erik only drove for half an hour before claiming that he couldn’t stay awake. His son instantly took over and let his father get some much-needed rest.

To be perfectly honest, the journey from the mansion to Remy’s meeting place should’ve only taken an hour to an hour and a half. However, something inside Pietro nagged him to take things slow again. After Erik had fallen asleep, the runner found himself taking the long way towards the destination: purposely missing exits, making up excuses to get more gas or food, or simply driving on small streets rather than large highways. Charles, who had graciously decided to check in with the pair, acted as an owl in order to help Pietro communicate with his traveling buddy. After a few exchange of words and ideas, Remy decided that he’d let his partner take as much time as he wanted and would occupy himself by wandering around a nearby town, patiently waiting for Charles to inform him of their arrival. So now, four hours later, the 1967 Chevrolet Impala came to a slow halt right in the middle of the intersection that would separate the trio for who knows how long.

Pietro glanced at his still-sleeping father, who now had a blanket carefully draped over him, before quietly getting out of the driver’s seat. He then opened Lorna’s door and carefully scooped her up into his arms, lightly shutting the door in the process. With his baby sister in his arms, Pietro sat on the hood of the car and stared at the endless road in front of him.

As soon as he and Remy took off, it would be the start of a brand new chapter in his life, with or without the success of a reunion with Wanda. Throughout his entire life, Pietro has always had someone to provide him with some kind of guidance whenever things looked grim. Their words of advice then formed feelings that Pietro would eventually value and even occasionally take for granted. While his mother gave him love and selflessness his father gave him self-assurance and ambition, and Charles gave him hope and sympathy. These feelings, as simple as they may appear, played a major role in his growth. They lifted his spirits up, pushed him forward, and caught him whenever he fell. But now, for the first time in his life, he wasn’t going to have someone constantly by his side who would act as his mentor. His mother is gone, Charles is remaining in New York, and Erik will head off who knows where. As soon as he and Remy took off, he would be alone.

A little coo awoke him from his daydreaming. He carefully shifted Lorna in his arms so that she would be more comfortable. He looked down and stared at her beautiful face, once again becoming lost in her green orbs. Time slowed down and he didn’t mind it. Not for one damn second. He didn’t know how long he stared down at her, gentle rocking her back and forth like he had the first time he held her in his arms when she was born, but the distant sound of a car engine forced him to come back to the present. He looked up and saw a red 1972 BMW 2000 tii slowly approach his parked impala, leaving a small trail of dust in its wake. Pietro swallowed before shifting his attention back to Lorna, who was staring up at him as if she knew what was about to happen next.  
“Oh Lorne,” Pietro sighed, “you’re always one step ahead of everyone else.”  
Her small lips began to quiver. She began to mumble and coo nonsense while burying her head in Pietro’s shirt. The mutant swallowed a lump in his throat before clearing his throat so he could hum his lullaby --no, Erik’s lullaby-- one last time. Despite his gentle crooning, Lorna’s eyes remained wide open and filled with unshed tears. Pietro stroked her hair before stroking the bridge of her nose with the back of his index finger.  
“You’re probably getting deja vu right now, and I don’t blame you. I hate deserting you again, but I need to keep you safe while I'm looking for Wanda. I refuse to allow danger to follow you again.” He leaned closer to her, sadly smiling when her tiny hands went up to touch his cheeks. “You don’t understand how much I want to stay here with you. After everything that’s happened, the last thing I want is to be away from my family. But I can’t take you with me. I’m going to get together with an estranged twin, who just also happens to be a mutant, while confronting an even bigger asshole than Apocalypse. Trust me, you don’t want to be part of what could be an enormous shit-storm. After everything I’ve put you through, you don’t deserve to have your life ruined again. What you deserve is a happy, carefree life with someone who will have the time to make you their world. No matter what happens next, I want you to know that you, Lorna Maximoff, are and always will be the best part of my life. And all you had to do was simply smile.”  
“Pe-Pe.”  
He smiled at his new nickname before pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead. “Thanks for giving me something to live for, little sis.”  
He looked up from her face and saw Remy standing uncomfortably a couple of feet in front of him. Before Pietro could open his mouth, Remy held up his hand.  
“Take all the time you need, monsieur.”  
The silver-haired mutant nodded in appreciation before going back to Lorna, who continued to stare at him. "I'll come back for you, Lorna. I promise. Keep raising hell while I'm away, okay?"  
As he slid off the car hood, the sound of a door creaking open caught his attention. He turned around and saw Erik leaning against the car door, silently watching the scene in front of him with a look of nostalgia in his blue eyes. Pietro deeply inhaled before pressing one last kiss on his sister’s forehead.  
“I love you so much, Lorna.”  
Remy approached the runner and gently took Lorna from his arms and carried her back down towards his own vehicle. His actions earned him a look of concern from Pietro.  
“Don’t worry. I’ll keep an eye on her. Right now, I think you and your daddy need some time alone.”  
Both father and son nodded before standing to face each other.

“Now you know how it felt when I had to let you go that night,” Erik suddenly said.  
“You really know how to lighten up the mood, don’t you Erik?”  
Erik looked over Pietro’s shoulder to see Remy gently rocking Lorna in his arms. Pietro followed Erik’s gaze and smirked. “She seems to really like him.”  
“Eh, she likes everyone. But there’s nobody she loves except yours truly,” Pietro added with a proud grin. “Make sure she’s safe. When I come back, I’d better not find out that she’s drifting off in some boat in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. ‘Cause if I do-”  
“You have nothing to worry about, Pietro. She'll be in great hands at the Xavier Mansion.”  
“Good or I’ll take all of your asses down in less than a minute.” After a few moments, Pietro extended his hand. “Try not to incinerate anybody while I’m gone, okay?”  
“I can’t make any promises.”  
Erik shook the boy’s hand, observing the fading cuts and bruises that still marked his son’s knuckles from months of abuse. His eyes moved to his son’s extraordinary dark eyes that heavily contrasted the silver hair. Erik took in his son’s healthier physical and emotional state knowing that this could be the last time he’d ever see his son in this state of happiness. It brought him back to the night he first held him in his arms: the pure energy and hope in Pietro’s little eyes was something Erik had neither seen nor experienced in his entire life. And although this would apply to Raven and Charles, seeing Pietro living out happiness made Erik feel better; maybe not completely happy, but better.  
Both men finally gained enough heart to let go of each other’s hand. Erik cleared his throat and reached into his pocket.  
“Before you go, I wanted to give this to you.”  
Pietro took the small item from Erik’s palm and felt a smile creep up. In his hand was a metal brooch in the shape of a bleeding heart, his favorite flower. If placed in proper lighting, the presence of hidden streaks of dark blue within the main frame was known. The metal flower connected to a brown stem, which acted as the pin, and green leaf that acted as the catch.  
“Holy shit. This is-”  
“Too sentimental? Predictable?”  
“-amazing! Where’d you get it?”  
“I made it.”  
“Yeah right.” Pietro saw Erik’s prideful expression. “You’re kidding me. You made this?"  
Erik nodded. "With my own two hands."  
“Since when did you make metal objects with your hands? Hell, when did you make metal objects not used as a tool for mass destruction?”  
“It was a talent that originally was meant for Anya and Magda. But after their departures I kept this talent hidden, knowing that this skill would never come in handy. I’m pleased to know that my talent hasn’t faltered after all of these years..”  
“I love it, and that’s something I don’t say often.”  
“As I recall, you’ve never said you loved anything besides your family and-”  
Pietro zipped back to his car to grab a small item from the side-pocket on the duffle bag. He appeared right in front of Erik before the final word left his mouth.  
“-food. What’s that?”  
“This, Magnet-O, is for you.”  
He tossed his present to Erik. Inside the small, poorly wrapped package were three cassette tapes. Erik raised his eyebrow in confusion, earning him an eye-roll.  
“Your music taste is bland. I mean, who the hell can sit in a car for forty five minutes and listen to some old man play the piano? I thought I’d save you the trouble of finding songs and voila, a couple of mix-tapes to spice up your horrible taste in music.”  
Erik sighed, unsure of what to think about the gift, before placing them in his pocket. He began his concluding statement.  
“I wish you the best of luck in Russia. And if you ever require my assistance, do not hesitate to contact me. I’ll always be there whenever you need me.”  
“Are you saying this because I’m a mutant, or because you’ll need a favor from me one day in the future?”  
Erik sighed and cupped his son’s neck. “Neither. You’re my son and I love you." Pietro's heart leaped with joy. "I care about you and I want you to know that there isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for you.”  
Pietro nodded, pushing back the wetness that crept in his eyes. “I won’t forget that. And I won’t forget you, too. You know that, right?” Erik didn’t respond. “Come on, after everything we’ve been through? There’s no way in hell I'm forgetting the man who single-handedly ruined and ameliorated my life. You’ve done way too much for me -- most of them being things I didn’t ask you to -- and for that, I couldn’t be more lucky to have a father like you. Just promise me that you’ll try to give mutants a better name. Make the world a better place for the others back at the mansion and for Wanda, okay?”  
Erik smirked. “I’ll try my hardest. Goodbye Pietro.”  
“Auf wiedersehen. Danke für alles, vati.”  
Before Pietro could see Erik’s reaction, Pietro had already grabbed his belongings and began to walk towards Remy’s car.

While they were talking, Remy had quietly snuck Lorna back into what would now be Erik’s car. Now, the gambler was patiently sitting in his car, waiting for the pair to finish their discussion. When he saw Pietro approach his car, he noticed the man pinning something onto the collar of his grey jacket. A few seconds later, the runner sat in the passenger's seat, staring at his side view mirror. The gambler originally waited for the go ahead, but he quickly realized that Pietro was too distracted to say anything. He started up the engine and began to drive down the endless road. A couple of feet into the journey, Remy began to talk in order to lighten the mood.  
“I gotta say, that’s a mighty nice brooch you got there. I ain’t gonna steal from you, 'specially knowin' that your daddy made it fo-”  
He turned to Pietro’s seat only to find it empty and the passenger door open. He instinctively slammed on the breaks and looked through the side-view mirror to see where his buddy had run off to. A quarter of a mile away from where he stopped, Remy could see Pietro tightly hugging his father, his face pressed against his father’s shoulder. The initial shock quickly melted from Erik’s face and he instantly hugged his son back with the same strength, love, and comfort Pietro’s hug provided him. Both men had their eyes closed while smiles of contentment could be seen. At one point, Remy swore that he saw Erik press a small kiss on top of his son’s silver hair. He continued to stare at the pair, smiling at the family moment. After a minute, Remy jumped in surprise when Pietro suddenly appeared right next to him in the seat. Pietro readjusted his new brooch before looking at Remy.  
“You tell anyone about what you saw, I’ll-”  
“What are you talkin’ about monsieur?” Remy asked with a wink.  
Pietro smirked. "You ready for this?”  
“Oui. Que l'aventure commence.”  
The car drove down the endless road, leaving a trail of dust in it’s wake. Both men in the car had smiles plastered on their faces for their own individual reasons. A once lonely man was going to Russia with a bright, young man to seek redemption. The other man reflected on the family he would remain stuck with for the rest of his life. Sure, there were moments when things got too crazy, but Pietro Maximoff couldn’t be more proud to be a part of the Xavier and Lehnsherr family, and he hoped that Wanda would feel the same way too.

Erik watched the car speed off into the distance. Now alone at the intersection, he took out one of the mixtapes his son gave him and plopped the first one into the car. The song _Breathe_  by Pink Floyd instantly filled the air. He smiled before gently grabbing Lorna from her seat and carrying her to the car’s hood. With her situated in his arms, Erik slowly sat on the hood and leaned back so that he was resting against the front windshield. He stared up at the small clouds that slowly passed him. The beautiful sky, brand new mix-tape, lovely Lorna cradled in his arms, and the recent memories shared with him and those he loves -- these elements brought an actual smile to Erik’s face. He laid under the blue sky until darkness took over, leaving little stars to light up the endless night time sky. Tomorrow, he would be confronted with countless questions from students and friends. Tomorrow, he’d have to wake up knowing that his son was on the other side of the world, pursuing a better life without him. Tomorrow, Magneto would ignite his mission to keep the peace between humans and mutants at bay. But tonight, Erik Lehnsherr just wanted to take things slow and reflect on the past. He just wanted to embrace the calmness and warmth the nighttime sky, Lorna’s presence, and memories provided him.

Unlike previous years of his life, he had someone- no, something -- to fight for. He could now get out of bed, take the world's hits, and hit it back twice as hard. Erik had a family to protect and live for. He had finally found his purpose in life. For the first time in who knows how long, Erik Lehnsherr was happy -- a feeling he’s missed, earned, and will forever embrace. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There will be an Epilogue :D
> 
> Like I said before, I'm considering writing a sequel for this story. It will be much more original and will distance itself away from the comic universe and focus more on where this story will leave off. I have the details all planned out, but I just need to come up with the main plot.  
> Should I actually write this sequel? Or should I just drop dead and stop writing all together? Please let me know in the comments :D Which reminds me-
> 
> Questions/Comments/Concerns/Insults/Thoughts of love?? Please write them all down in the comment box :D Every voice is appreciated :0)
> 
> Take Care and Party Hard :0)


	41. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all :0)
> 
> Well this is it. The final chapter!!! Damn, I'm really going to miss writing this story :(  
> Please read End Notes for thanks and information :D
> 
> Warning: Grammatical/Spelling errors and possibly slight OOC-ness!!!
> 
> I hope you enjoy!!!

_**(Two Weeks Later)** _

**(September 12, 1983. 08:30 AM)**  
“You’ll be fine, he said. It’s not that cold, he said.”  
“Would you quit your complainin’ kid? The cold ain’t so bad after a while.”  
“Says the guy who’s wearing the brown trench coat.” Pietro growled while pulling his thin jacket closer to him in a vain attempt to shield himself from the chilly air that bit his bones  
It had been two weeks since they departed Westchester, New York. Pietro and Remy spent their entire time in Russia searching for a long, lost twin and an immortal mutate. Considering that both men hadn’t seen their targets in years they found themselves aimlessly wandering around the streets of Moscow. The air was becoming cooler, indicating that the fall season was approaching. Although the mutants enjoyed traveling to a foreign place the feeling of unfulfillment and impatience was slowly building up.  
“I bet you ten bucks that everyone back in New York are still wearing t-shirts and shorts.”  
“I ain’t gonna accept said bet ‘cause I know you’ll win.”  
“Seriously though, how the fuck can it be so cold in the middle of September?”  
“You can’t blame anyone but yourself, monsieur. Alrighty, I’m gonna grab a beer or two from the pub. You want anythin’?”  
“Fucking progress is what I want.”  
Remy shrugged his shoulders before making his way into the crowded pub beside him. Pietro leaned against the cold bricks and scanned the streets. Another problem that was quickly realized was that Pietro, as well as Remy, had nothing to help him identify who was Wanda. The only visual reference he had were her powers, kinetic energy manipulation. That still wasn’t enough. The runner looked back into the pub and saw Remy already striking up a conversation with two beautiful Russian women. Realizing that he’d be standing outside for a while, Pietro straightened his beanie that perfectly hid his silver hair before slowly making his way down the cobblestone street.

He had only made it a couple of feet away from the pub before he felt a muscular arm painfully wrap around his mouth and forcefully drag him down a hidden alleyway. His first instinct was to fight and although he manage to throw his attacker off of him, he was greeted by four pairs of hands tightly gripping his jacket, mouth, and now exposed hair. He was painfully shoved and pinned against a brick wall. The mutant was silently putting an escape plan together, but one of the men quickly grabbed Pietro’s full attention.  
“Вы - наркоман, который убил всех тех людей.”  
“Listen buddy, I don’t speak Russian.” The man simply snarled. “I don’t know what you’re saying!”  
“Целый мир увидел Вас, и ваши друзья почти разрушают мир. Мы собираемся делать мир польза и заканчивать ваше существование. Вы заплатите за все, что Вы сделали.”  
“What the hell are you guys-”  
“They’re saying that you’re the freak who killed all of those people nearly two months ago and that they’re going to make you pay for what you’ve done.”  
Everybody’s head snapped to the new voice.

A young woman with long, dark brown hair stood at the entrance of the alleyway. She wore black jeans, combat boots, and long-sleeved shirt. However, the trench coat, finger-less gloves, and scarf around her neck were dark pink. Pietro was instantly struck by the confidence her tone and eyes held. He watched her dark green eyes scan him from bottom to top and tilted his head in confusion when the woman’s eyes froze at his silver-hair.  
“Держитесь подальше от этого, если вы будете знать, что вам лучше всего,” one of the men growled.  
“Вы подумали, что я боюсь вас? Вы подумали, что я боюсь любой из вас? Я не собираюсь пойти в любом месте до тех пор пока вы не отпустите кнопку.”  
“W-What is he saying? What are you saying? What the fuck is going on?!”  
Pietro felt the familiar coldness of a gun barrel being pressed against his skull. The three remaining men also revealed there weapons -- another gun, a metal knife, and razor. The mutant made an effort to run away from the situation but the tip of the knife was suddenly pressed against his stomach right on top of one of the scars Logan gave him.  
“Вы можете переместить, и вы мертвой точки.” The man holding the knife turned to the stranger. “Вам не осмелился вмешаться если вы хотите увидеть его кровь замочите на улицах. Он ему просто нечего делать, и простое. Всех монстров, как ему нужно умирать.” The female took a couple of steps closer. “Держаться в стороне или вы будете рядом”

The woman froze in place, her eyes darkening with anger. After a few moments, she slowly extended her palms towards the men surrounding Pietro. To everyone’s surprise, both her hands were beginning to slowly get consumed with pink energy that matched Gambit’s. All of the weapons pointed at Pietro were quickly torn away from the attackers’ hands and levitated in mid air. The woman’s once green eyes were now pink as well. She stared at the floating objects with pride as well as curiosity. And then, with a violent shift of the hands, all of the weapons instantly broke into miniscule pieces that could only be seen by Pietro and the stranger. As she lowered her hands, the pink color died. She glared at the Russian men, silently daring to threaten her again. Pietro, who shook himself out of his stupor, used the distraction to take down his attackers. He forcefully rammed them into the brick wall, knocking them out instantly. Once they were dealt with, Pietro looked at the woman and smiled.  
“I could’ve taken them you know.”  
“From where I was standing it seemed like you could’ve used an extra hand.” She continued to stare at Pietro. “You’re a mutant, right? Not some experiment gone wrong?”  
“Yeah I’m a mutant. Why’d you think that I was an experiment gone wrong?”  
“There are rumors going on that secret organizations are creating super humans order to combat, capture, or experiment on mutants like ourselves. I was just afraid that I saved my enemy.”  
“Don’t worry, I’m not going to turn on the woman who saved my ass. I guess I should offer you a drink now after your help. But before I do, I should probably get your name first.”  
“My current name is Wanda Powell, but I usually go by my birth name.”  
“Which is?”  
“Wanda Maximoff.”

Pietro’s world froze. Everything matched -- her powers, hair color, her freaking name. After weeks of worry, frustration, and lies, he was now standing in front of his biological twin. He didn’t even know where to begin or what to say. His mind was moving at breakneck speed that would most-likely harm any telepath who dared to reach his mind. He scanned Wanda’s beautiful features. Despite only knowing her for a few minutes, he could already tell that they both shared similar personality traits: confidence, independence, curiosity, and resilience to name a few. Her inner and outer beauty, abilities, and the long distance apart made Pietro silent vow to protect her at all costs and to never let her go… even if she ended up hating him.  
“What are you staring at, sir?”

Pietro, unable to speak, simply smiled.

  **(September 12, 1983. 07:09 PM)**  
In a secret headquarters hidden Alberta, Canada, Nathaniel Essex casually strode down a dim corridor, ignoring the screams of the tortured souls who currently resided in the facility. He arrived at his office and sat down in his comfy seat, looking through the records picked up by American Forces following Apocalypse’s reign. A knock.  
“Come in,” he absently said, his eyes never straying from the record.  
“Good evening Sinister,” Major William Stryker said. “Our teams just got the results back from the blood spots found in the alleyway in New York nearly two months ago.”  
“So what? A single drop of blood is insignificant. It probably belongs to one of your men or-”  
“Sir, the blood belongs to Pietro Maximoff.”  
That caught the mutate’s attention. “Quicksilver? The runner who joined Apocalypse? So he can bleed after all...”  
“That’s not even the interesting part, sir. His DNA matches Erik Lehnsherr’s, the former terrorist.”  
Essex snatched the folder from Stryker’s hand and looked through it before snapping his eyes back to the files he was originally reading. It was true: the most powerful mutant in the world has a son who shares the same genes and powers, both external and internal. Erik Lehnsherr, the most dangerous mutant in the world, had a weak spot.  
“Do you know what this means, Sinister?”  
“It means a couple of things, my boy. It means that Pietro harnesses the same genetic blood as Erik. It means that he harnesses the same level of strength, power, and danger Erik possesses. But most importantly, it means that Weapon X will have it’s most powerful weapon yet. Pietro harbors a unique gift that our facility alone can harness and control. Stryker, assemble our best creations so far and begin to plan out a world search for the silver-haired mutant.”  
“Did you have anyone particular in mind that you’d want to accompany me?”  
“Bring along Agent Zero, Native, Reaper, Washout and- who’s the guy who wears all of that red and never stops talking?”  
“Deadpool, sir?”  
“Yes! Bring Deadpool along as well. Not only will he be a useful weapon to capture the speedster, but his absence will finally give the faculty members here a break from his endless, insignificant remarks.” Stryker was about to head out, but Essex added one more thing. “Make sure you bring him back alive. Kill anyone who gets in our way. Oh and see if you could also bring Remy LeBeau here as well. I feel like we should tie up loose ends and give him a proper farewell.”  
“Yes sir,” the human replied before marching out the door.  
Sinister smirked before leaning back in his seat, staring at the records that belong to Pietro Maximoff and Erik Lehnsherr.

“Enjoy your months of bliss, Mr. Lehnsherr. But soon, you will feel the consequences of your actions. You take my allies, visions, and creations away from me? Fine. Then I’ll destroy your world. By the time you see Charles again, his mind will filled with corrupt and deadly thoughts. And by the time you see your dear son again, he’ll be a broken, obedient mess. By the time you realize what you’ve lost, you’ll watch in horror and fear as the two men who make your world slowly destroy it with their own bare hands. You, Erik Lehnsherr, made the biggest mistake of your life.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those of you who have followed this story since the beginning or who have just stumbled upon this, I'd like to say "Thank you!!" All of your comments, kudos, bookmarks, and views really mean the world to me!! This story was so much fun to write and reading all of your comments made this process even funner :D
> 
> For those of you who may be confused, here's a simple summary of the next story :0)  
> Main Plot: Sinister's rise/Destruction.  
> Sub Plots: Pietro's relationship with Wanda/other mutants and Weapon X's mission to capture Pietro (as well as the aftermath of the either successful/failed attempt). It will also feature Erik/Charles/Hank/X-Men members :D It will also be a hurt/comfort story with dadneto moments as well!
> 
> Because college is staring up again, I decided to write/publish chapters for the sequel around that time (Late August/Early September). Writing works of fiction like this actually calms my mind and forces me to be much more creative and original. So expect the first chapter of the sequel to be published soon :D This little gap gives me some time to focus on my actual job as well as come up with the details for the next story. 
> 
> Questions/Comments/Concerns/Insults/Thoughts of love?? Please feel free to write them down in the comments :0)
> 
> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING AND I CAN'T WAIT TO (hopefully) SEE YOU ALL SOON :D 
> 
> Take Care and Party Hard,  
> RogersBz14 :0)


	42. Alternative Ch.10 (titled Ch.9)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all :0)
> 
> I posted an AN explaining that I had a lot of unused ideas that didn't make it into the final product. This is an alternative chapter :D. Fun fact: I actually found my document containing this version of the chapter hidden in my hard drive! All I had to do was copy and paste xD  
> If you want, feel free to read the original chapter before reading this one. If you don't, then you may be a little confused.
> 
> Warning: Grammatical/Spelling errors and possibly slight OOC-ness!!
> 
> I hope you enjoy!!!

**(April 3, 1983. 10:30 AM)  
** Pietro Maximoff would never consider himself to be an anxious person.  
No matter the scenario, no matter the opponent, no matter the stakes -- Pietro has been able to remain in a meditative state. That all being said, Pietro wasn’t the most normal person. The fact that he’s been assisting a wanted mutant terrorist, who just happened to also be his estranged father, while also kidnapping, or as his mentor Charles Xavier calls it, “liberating”, other mutants from government-operated facilities may contribute to Pietro’s abnormal life. Pietro, just like his father and his allies, were mutants, beings who possessed abilities far greater than the average man. The silver-haired mutant’s ability to run faster than the speed of sound has always fueled his confidence. And now, working alongside adults who shared similar abilities as him made him feel not only invulnerable, but also safe. Like I said, Pietro Maximoff would never consider himself to be an anxious person.  
Unless, of course, his family’s life was on the line.

Ever since Erik’s White House stunt, mutants were seen as an enemy rather than a freak. And while Pietro was constantly tormented and rejected from his schoolmates and society, his family continued to stay by his side. Sure, there were bumps along the road, but that never stopped his mother from loving him unconditionally. And when Lorna was born last year, Pietro was never seen as a threat… but as a hero, as a playpal, as a caregiver, and, most importantly, a big-brother. Lorna’s birth, in a time on uncertainty and loneliness, sparked something inside of Pietro that has shaped his personality and decisions. And he didn’t mind it. He owed his family more than he would ever be able to give. His family is the reason he found the strength to endure the worst circumstances. His family gave him something to fight for in a time of uncertainty. His family provided him with unconditional love during a period of endless hate. And now, his family is the reason Pietro is now sitting inside of The Blackbird, a jet flying at lightning speed.

For the past forty minutes, Pietro sat across from his father, as well as the older Summers brother, Alex. Their words of comfort and reassurance were drowned out by the deafening pounding of his own heart that continued to hammer against his chest. In order to tame his shaky hands, Pietro clasped them together and began to rub them. His left foot tapped at an unnatural speed out of impatience and anxiety.  
“We’re here,” Hank McCoy, his other mutant friend, announced from the pilot’s seat.  
Once the jet landed on the uneven ground, the jet’s door slowly opened. Before the door had fully opened, Pietro zipped out of the jet towards his former home.

As the world moved past him like a blur, Pietro managed to catch glimpses of bodies lying amongst the rubble. Some men and women who laid on the destroyed street were barely clinging to life, while others were already past the point of no return. Either way, the blood that slowly left the victims painted the brown and black roads red. The devastation around Pietro prompted him to run even harder and faster. As he ran, he began to do something he’s never done in his entire lifetime: he began to pray. He prayed to the God, or gods, above that his family somehow avoided the destruction that laid before him. He prayed that Erik and Charles hadn’t broken their promise of his family’s safety. He prayed that his family was safe. He prayed that Lorna, his little baby sister, was okay. Thirty seconds later, the mutant found himself staring at his home. Or rather, he found himself staring the remains of his home. The left side of his home had completely caved, leaving furniture and floorboards exposed to nature’s wrath. The family’s old once beautiful 1980 brown and white station wagon was now crushed and set ablaze. The front door was torn from it’s hinges and shattered into dozens of pieces.  
“Oh no,” Pietro breathed out.  
Without hesitation, he zoomed right into his home and began to call for his family.  
“Mom! Lorna! Dammit, someone please answer me!!”  
His worry-laced pleas came to a sudden stop when he reached the kitchen. The sirens and birds outside faded, leaving the sound of his own heartbeat left. Knees suddenly weak, Pietro fell onto them and stared at the scene in front of him in devastation. Marya Maximoff -- his mentor, his hero (to some extent), his mother -- was slumped against the kitchen counter with an enormous hole right in the center of her stomach. Her spinal cord, as well as other organs, were separated from her body and laid a couple of inches beside her. Blood covered her entire front side, as well as mouth. The pool of blood surrounding her only seemed to grow by the second.  
“No,” Pietro whimpered in a hushed tone. “Mom…”  
Tears began to sting his eyes and a lump in his throat began to form. However, they instantly cleared up when another thought, or person, came into his mind.  
“Lorna…”  
He ran, or rather quickly stumbled, up the ruined staircase and towards Lorna’s nursery. As he made his way, he plead like a broken record.  
“Not you. Jesus, please not you, Lorna. Please please please, not you too.”  
When he arrived to his baby sister’s room, the first item that caught his eyes was the blood-soaked crib. While everything else seemed to be in place, the crib was the only thing Pietro saw. Ever so slowly, almost as if he were to prolong the unbearable truth, Pietro approached the crib. As he got closer, his heart rate increased. It was pumping so fast and so loudly that he thought that it could shake the remainder of his home’s foundation. Finally, when he was close enough, Pietro reluctantly looked inside. There was nothing but blood. The blood coated Lorna’s favorite blanket, her favorite stuffed bunny, and the wooden railings. At a closer inspection, a tiny bloody handprint could be seen on one of the bars. After a few seconds of silence, something snapped inside Pietro. Without thinking, the runner approached Lorna’s toy shelf and violently shoved everything off. And then, he ran a small bookshelf and flipped it over, not caring when her favorite books fell onto the ground as if they were useless junk. He grabbed whatever came into his line of view and smashed it onto the ground. Rage, betrayal, and devastation were now in control. He flipped the crib upside down, punched the nursery's green walls, and threw whatever fell onto the ground against the wall. Finally, when he used up all of his energy, Pietro Maximoff fell onto his knees and let out a loud yell of anguish. Although he couldn't hear it himself, it was loud enough to have echoed throughout the destroyed neighborhood. As his yell faded into the distance, and as his mind began to truly comprehend his losses, Pietro knelt on the ground in a different kind of state. He was neither furious nor shattered: he was numb. The tears that made their way down his cheeks went unnoticed. The sound of approaching footsteps couldn’t be heard. The shakes that rattled his body went unfelt. However, the comforting hand on his shoulder somehow made itself known.  
“Pietro…”  
Erik. The man who’s arrogant actions sealed the fate of mutant-kind. The man who single-handedly turned his life upside down. The man who took everything away from him. Without thinking, Pietro angrily shoved Erik’s hand from his shoulder. He then stood up and faced his father, anger and betrayal written all over his face.  
“You fucking asshole,” the younger mutant growled.  
“Pietro-”  
“This is all your fault.”  
“Pi-”  
Pietro grabbed Erik by the collar of his shirt and slammed him against the wall on the opposite wall. He didn’t move fast enough to give Erik whiplash, but just enough to make a dent in the wall.  
“MY FAMILY IS GONE BECAUSE OF YOU!! WHY DID YOU HAVE TO RUIN MY GODDAMN LIFE?!”  
Although there was a pained look on Erik’s face, he still remained unphased by his son’s outburst. He deserved all of the words that were thrown at him. He deserved the small concussion he’d received when his head connected with the wall. However, the real reason he remained silent was because he knew that his son needed this. Pietro needed this moment to let out all of his anger and frustration. The older mutant took in the sadness written in Pietro’s eyes. He took in his son’s bloody knuckles, pale-face, and now slumped shoulders. He needed to take in his son’s form one last time because, based on what has happened, he would probably never see Pietro again. At least, not  the same way again. After their stare off, Pietro slowly let go of his father’s collar and stumbled out of the nursery, deaf to the calls coming from Erik. When he felt Hank and Alex’s comforting hands touching his shoulder, Pietro angrily shoved them aside while continuing his journey out of his ruined home. As soon as the metallic smell of blood filled his nostrils, Pietro began to jog. He jogged past the rubbed around his former home, past the bodies that littered the endless street, past the neighborhood he grew up in. Soon, his jogging increased to running. He found himself zooming past familiar areas of the town, past old monuments that once stood tall and proud, and past the town he once called home.

He didn’t know where he was going. He didn’t know how long he would be gone. All he knew was that he needed to get the hell out of his destroyed home, away from the life he worked too hard to preserve. He needed to escape his failures, his mistakes, and his deceased family.  
  
He just needed to run away from the things and people who reminded him of Marya and Lorna, his family he failed to protect.

 **(April 3, 1983. 06:57 PM)  
** Later, after fifteen bottles of whiskey, forty shots of tequila, five beers, and one glass of water, Pietro Maximoff found himself sleepily sitting at a bar right outside of Philadelphia. He had hid his silver-hair, pickpocketed at least seventy-five people with ease, and spent the rest of the day drinking.  
Pietro rarely got drunk. His fast metabolism often prevented him from feeling even a little tipsy. Still, the mutant knew that he could get drunk. He just needed to be in the right mindset… like now! Whenever he ran out of money, he would run out of the bar and appear with a load of cash a few moments later. Whenever the bartender told him to lay off the beers, Pietro would switch to a different kind of alcoholic beverage. Nothing was stopping the mutant from numbing himself. That said, nothing, not even the alcohol, was stopping the memories of his family from popping up. Everytime he saw Marya’s face, he would take a swig of tequila. And every time he saw Lorna’s bright and innocent smile… he would inhale whiskey as if it were air itself. So now, as he sat in a drunken state, he began to reminisce about all that he had lost and all that he had gained because of Erik and the mutants back at the mansion.  
Speaking of them, they’ll probably be extremely pissed if he came back there drunk. Then again, why should he care about what they thought? After all, Charles and Erik didn’t care about his family when they took him away from them. They didn’t really care about his mother’s decision to leave him at the mansion. All they cared about was their mission.  
It wasn’t until his forty-seventh shot of tequila that a conversation reached his ear.

“Yeah, I heard Washington DC got wiped out by some freak,” a man wearing a flannel shirt said to his friend, who was wearing a black turtleneck. “Poor bastards.”  
“Maybe the monster took out all of his freaky friends too. Good riddance, if you ask me.”  
“Come on man, that’s not cool. Innocent people were living there.”  
“But so were mutants. Where do you think mutant’s come from? Way I see it, killing freaks and their families before them is good.”  
Pietro glared at the pair for a few seconds before drunkenly stumbling over to them, whiskey bottle in hand.  
“Evening Gentlemen,” he said in a slurred manner.  
“Get lost,” the turtleneck said.  
“Heard you talkin’ about freaks. Ya know that they had families, right? They…”Pietro trailed off for a second, taking another long swing, before continuing. “Th-They had mothers, and vati’s… and Lorna’s…”  
“So? This world needs less freaks and if that means wiping out their families too, then so be it.”  
Pietro smirked. “Alright asshole.”  
Without a word, Pietro suddenly smashed the whiskey bottle against the man’s skull, knocking him out cold. Cuts from the glass now covered Pietro’s right hand, blood beginning to trickle from the lacerations. The flannel man stood up in shock, as well as the seven other men in the bar.  
“What the hell man?!”  
“They had families!” Pietro drunkenly yelled. “And he thought they deserved to die?! No wonder Erik thinks you’re all assholes.”  
As he yelled out, the beanie he wore accidentally fell off, revealing the one of a kind silver hair. “You’re the guy who broke that terrorist out of the labs!” another bar patron yelled.  
Pietro looked down at his fallen hat and snorted. “Whoops! How… How’d that get there?”  
“I’m going to call the police.”  
A hiccup. “Wouldn’t do that, homosapien.”  
When the man reached for the phone, he was suddenly flung against the wall. The mutant pushed him nearly ten feet away before appearing in front of the jukebox. Suddenly, all of the conscious bar patrons began to approach the drunk mutant, handcrafted weapons like broken bottles and pool stick in hand. Pietro smirked at the approaching men before blasting the song _Ace of Spades_ throughout the bar.  
Pietro cracked his neck and knuckles. “Let’s get this party started!”

 **(April 3, 1983. 11:45 PM)  
** Erik sat in Charles’ living room alongside Charles himself, Hank, Logan, Alex, and Dallas. All of the men were worried about the whereabouts of Pietro, yet none of them cared to comment about it. Charles had the option of using Cerebro to track his friend down but decided against it, for he believed that Pietro needed some privacy without someone intruding on his mind. Eventually, Dallas let out a stifled yawn, earning him a smile from Charles.  
“Come now, Dallas, it’s time for bed.”  
“But I want to wait until Pete gets home!”  
“He’ll show up soon. I promise. Until then, you need to save your strength and-”  
“Is he ever going to come back? Does he hate us?”  
Charles looked over at Erik, who simply let out a sad sigh. “He’ll come back. Right now, I think he needs some time alone. Come now, I’ll tuck you in.”  
Dallas glanced at the window one last time before leaping onto Charles’ lap. However, before he could even move, a loud crashing sound came from the kitchen from the floor below them. All of the men looked at each other before making their way over to the source of the sound. When they all finally made it to the kitchen, they were greeted by a bloody and drunken Pietro Maximoff lying on the floor.  
His once silky silver hair was now drenched in sweat, hints of red seen in some parts. His right cheek and left eye was purple, while the remainder of his face was covered in cuts. The blood from his nose left trails down the side of his head. His right hand was also bloody. When Pietro met the other’s concerned gazes, he smirked and weakly stood up, using the kitchen island to support himself. After a tense stare off, Alex began.  
“Pete? Are you okay?” He sniffed. “Are… are you drunk? Huh, I guess I finally get to see you hammered, although I would’ve like to have been drunk with you.”  
“Alex,” Charles scolded, “you’re not helping.”  
Pietro disappeared from their line of view and then reappeared, now with a bottle of wine in his uninjured hand. As he began to chug the contents down, Logan and Hank glanced at each other.  
“Kid,” Logan began, “you might want to take it easy on the al-”  
“Naw, m’good,” Pietro said with a drunken smile.  
When Hank tried to take the bottle away, Pietro slapped the man’s hands away before chugging the remaining alcohol down in less than five seconds. The silver-haired mutant stared at the empty bottle before tossing it into the open trash.  
"Jesus Christ, Pete, how much did you drink?" Alex asked incredulously.  
"I only had half of thirty bottles of whiskey, a couple of beers, and 'lot of shots!" Pietro replied with a drunken smirk.  
Unsure of what to do next, Charles slowly approached the runner and began with, “Pietro, I’m so sor-”  
“Let me guess,” Pietro said sharply, much to everyone’s surprise. “You’re gonna tell me that yer sorry, that everythin’s gonna be ‘right… th’n tomorrow, yer gonna want me t’go on ‘nother mission. Isn’t th’t right?”  
All of the sober men could see tears appearing in Pietro’s dark eyes. After a pregnant pause, Hank cleared his throat.  
“I-I should clean you up before your hand gets infected.”  
“M’fine.”  
“Pietro Django Maximoff, will you let Hank do his bloody job?” Erik asked.  
“Why th’ell should I lis’n to ya?” Pietro shouted back. “ ‘fter everythin’ ya did to me? To our kind? Everybody’s dead ‘cause of ya.”  
“Pietro, that’s not fair,” Charles defended.  
“Ya know wha? Life’s not fair!! M’family’s gone. Lorna’s gone…”  
“Pietro-”  
"Should've 'tected her."  
"Pietro-"  
“SHE WAS JUST A BABY!”  
That single, emotional outburst silenced everyone. Despite the warmth the alcohol provided him, Pietro could feel tears fall down his cheeks. Erik and Charles stared at the ground, unable to come up with a proper response. Meanwhile, Alex, Logan, Hank, and Dallas sadly looked at their friend, wishing with all of their heart to come up with something that would comfort him. Without a word, Dallas pushed himself off of Charles’ lap and slowly approached his older friend. And then, without any warning, he hugged Pietro, his small arms wrapping themselves around Pietro’s stomach. The silver-haired mutant stared down at the boy hugging him, unsure of what to do. While a part of him wanted to shove Dallas off, another part enjoyed the comfort the gesture brought. However, before he could do anything, a wave a nausea attacked Pietro.  
“I gotta puke.”  
Pietro quickly yet gently pushed Dallas aside before speeding off into his own room. He fell onto his knees and puked his guts out into the toilet. Snot and tears made their way into the white bowl, mixing with the contents just expelled from his stomach. His injured hand burned as he clenched the toilet to steady himself. He didn’t know how long he’d been kneeling beside the toilet, but he eventually finished. Suddenly, the toilet flushed and Pietro watched the disgusting bile and vomit get sucked down into the abyss. The lid closed and Pietro felt a pair of hands grab his arms and pull him into a standing position. He was then gently eased onto the toilet. When his vision cleared, Pietro found himself staring at an exhausted and hesitant Erik Lehnsherr.

In his right hand was a wet towel and in left was a first-aid kit. Pietro made a noise of disapproval, but Erik ignored it and began to approach his son. The metal-bender knelt down in front of his son and began to gently dab at the cuts that littered his face.  
"M'not a child," Pietro whined while weakly batting away Erik's hands  
“Then stop acting like one," Erik gently countered, continuing his work. "Speaking of childish behavior, Charles told me that you got into a bar fight.”  
“How’d he-”  
“He looked into your mind while you were puking.”  
“Oh. Least I now have an excuse for gettin’ a black eye. Plus… I won one hundred and ninety-five dollars.”  
“You won?”  
“Fine, I liberated ninety-five dollars from eight men and one hundred from the cash register.”  
“Pietro, what were you thinking?” Erik scolded, anger hidden in his tone. “We’re trying to stay under the radar. You’re a wanted man for breaking into a research lab and for assisting me.”  
“So what? Lorna and Marya are gone… doesn’t matter what I do anymore.”  
“There are kids here, Pietro. If the government tracked us down and saw a bunch of mutants in a single facility, imagine the damage that could be done. Everything that Charles has worked for would be destroyed.”  
"I just needed some time to think... and take out some anger."  
"Still, that does not give you an excuse to parade around and abuse your gifts! Your actions could have-"  
“Do you even care about me?" Pietro suddenly asked, shutting Erik up. “Do you even care that my own mother and sister are dead?” Erik didn’t reply, instead concentrating on wiping off some blood on Pietro’s head. “Do you even care about the people you’ve hurt?”  
“Of course I do. I care about Charles, his school-”  
“But not me…”  
“I do-”  
“If you really cared about me, then you would’ve left me back in DC with my family. There are plenty of mutants who are better than me and who would’ve gotten twice the number of mutants in half the time. You should’ve let me be.”  
“I should’ve let you be?” Erik asked incredulously. “I should’ve let you perish in the hands of an omnipotent mutant? I should’ve left you only for you to die? I should’ve just sat back and watch my second child die in front of my eyes?”  
“At least I was happy! At least I would’ve died protecting them! At least I would’ve done my job!!”  
Knowing that he wasn’t going to reach Pietro anytime soon, Erik sighed and continued to clean up Pietro. Eventually, he managed to patch up the wounds, including the one on his hand, that let loose more blood. When he finished wrapping the bandage around Pietro’s right hand, Erik noticed that he’d missed a cut on the right side of Pietro’s head. He re-wet the towel and began to dab at the wound. However, as soon as the cloth touched the wound, Erik heard a sniff. That sniff was soon followed by another, and another, and another. Eventually, the sound of suppressed sobs joined the mix, while Pietro’s entire frame began to shake. Erik placed the towel on the counter and gently grasped Pietro’s chin, forcing the mutant to look him in the eye. Once again, tears began to fall from Pietro’s dark eyes. This time, however, Erik could see Pietro struggling to suppress sobs. In order to comfort his son, Erik placed a gentle hand onto one of Pietro’s shaking shoulder. The gesture only made Pietro crumble more.  
“Bring them back,” Pietro whispered, pain and desperation lacing his voice. “Dad, **please** bring them back.”  
The tone in Pietro’s voice, as well as the look of desperation and devastation in his eyes, cracked something inside of Erik. It cracked the mask he’s trained himself to wear ever since Shaw's death. The mask that shielded his emotions and own fears from the cruel world began to let loose his own feelings of sadness and despair. His heart, which has blocked sentimental emotions, weeped hearing Pietro begging his father to make things right. Since their reunion at Marya's house a few months earlier, Erik had always expected Pietro to call him "dad" one of these days, whether it be on purpose or on accident. However, hearing his son finally accept him as a father by calling "dad" in this current setting didn't make Erik's heart leap for joy. Instead, it only broke it more. Without a moment to spare, Erik wordlessly wrapped his arms around Pietro's shoulders and pulled him into a hug only a father could give. To his surprise, Pietro actually submitted to the comforting gesture and ended up burying his face into Erik's shoulder. The metal-bender felt Pietro's hands grip onto his jacket as if it were a lifeline. When a sob finally escaped Pietro’s mouth, Erik began to rock from side-to-side.  When apologies directed to Lorna and Marya began to release themselves, Erik gently cupping the back of Pietro’s head and pressing him even closer to his shoulder. But when Pietro began to apologize to Erik and even go as so far as to self-antagonize himself, Erik began to hush his son, replacing self-incriminating words with reassurance and comfort. But overall, Erik focused on letting his son finally release all of the anger and anguish he’s probably stored since this morning. Eventually, Pietro slowly pulled himself away from Erik and hastily wiped away more tears.  
“I can’t believe I screwed up so badly,” Pietro said to himself.  
“There was nothing you could have done. The powers our target possesses are far greater than any mutant I’ve ever seen. No matter how hard you try, he would have killed you and your family. Nobody, including myself, has complete control over the world and its inhabitants.”  
“Still… I could’ve done something more.”  
Erik sighed before moving to sit on the tile floor with his back pressed against the tub. Pietro stared at his father for a moment before mimicking Erik’s actions. Both men, now sitting side by side with their back pressed against the tub, looked at the toilet they were once near. After a few moments of silence, Erik cleared his throat.

“Did you know that I was married?”  
Pietro’s snapped his head to stare at Erik, his eyes, once glassy and laced with exhaustion, sobered up and now held fascination and curiosity. “What? You… You were married?”  
“Yes. Her name was Magda Eisenhardt. Magda was… a very special woman in my life. We were childhood friends and, inevitably, I had fallen in love with her. Her external and internal beautiful was truly captivating and unique. But when the Nazi’s invaded, we were seperated. It was only after my family’s demise, and my own experimentation, in Auschwitz where I reunited with her. What amazed me about her was how much hope and life she still had despite those horrid conditions. Seeing her fueled hope inside of me and inspired me to protect her with all of my being. When the war ended, the Germans tried to eradicate the camp. All of the surviving men and women were going to be shot and burned by the end of the day. I managed to escape the camp with her and we ran East. We managed to start a life together after World War II ended. We married and… we ended having our first child together.”  
“What?! But- but I thought I was-”  
“You weren’t the first child I had, Pietro,” Erik replied warmly. “Anya was pure. She held so much curiosity, innocence and love in her heart that she made anyone who came across her smile. Both of them gave me so much purpose in life.”  
“Was she... like us?”  
“A mutant? No, which could be considered a blessing rather than a curse. Seeing how mutants have always been treated like rats, I’m glad that she was able to roam freely without fearing for her life. Eventually, we moved to Vinnitsa in Ukraine so I could become an engineer. I wanted to be able to provide for both of them and keep them happy.”  
“So what happened?”  
“The first day there, I had gotten a small job working as a metal-wielder. The pay rate was horrid and I demanded for a little bit more money to help feed my family. When they refused, I let my arrogance and anger get the best of me, and ended up using my powers against my boss. It was the first time I’d used my powers in public.. and people were horrified. That night the inn my family was staying in caught on fire because humans had discovered what I was. They lit the place I was staying at on fire, hoping that I was in there and that I would perish.” Erik closed his eyes at the incoming memories. “I wasn’t in the inn at the time. Anya was. I arrived there to see her trapped in our room, which was slowly being consumed in flames. Magda tried to run into the inn to save her, but I managed to stop her with my powers. The police saw what I had done, assumed that I was the true monster in the situation, and attacked me. No matter how much I fought and begged, the townspeople and police wouldn’t let me save my daughter. I watched my little baby girl, consumed in flames, jump from three-stories as a last ditch effort to save herself because her father couldn’t. I watched my little girl die right in front of me and I couldn’t do a damn thing about it. In a fit of rage, I accidentally killed the policemen who were detaining me, as well as a mob that was beginning to form around the inn. Magda had no prior knowledge as to who I really was, so when she saw me use my powers, she was horrified. Then she took off into the night and I never saw her again. I lost my second family in one night all because of what I am.” Pietro stared at his father, sympathy in his eyes, unsure of what to say next. “Then, a couple of months later, I hear that she was pregnant... with you.”  
“W-What?! She was preg- she was my-”  
“Yes. She was pregnant with you after she had left me. She gave birth to you, left you in the hands of Marya, and fled into a blizzard where I assume she perished.”  
“So, let me get this straight: Marya wasn’t my real mother?!Wh-Why are you telling me-”  
“Please let me finish.” Erik sounded slightly desperate, so Pietro shut up and let him continue his side of the story. “I met Marya when she was in Transia. I did fall in love with her...but then my past came to haunt me and I had to leave her to keep her and you safe.”  
Pietro sat flabbergasted: if Erik was telling the truth, then that would mean that they both left the ones they loved…out of love. Erik continued his story, quickly silencing Pietro’s thoughts.  
“A mutant named Sebastian Shaw experimented on me when I was in the concentration camp, which was why I was afraid of being a lab rat in Providence. It brought back too many painful memories, both figuratively and literally. He killed my mother in front of me and then proceeded to experiment on me once he discovered what I was. When I met Marya we were at a bar. She told me about an infant boy she was planning to adopt from a woman named Magda Eisenhardt. I knew you were my son the moment those words left her mouth. She said that she was going to pick you up the next morning, making me want to stay with her even more. I wanted to meet my own son and see what he looked like. In fact, she had already picked out a name for you...”  
“Peter?”  
“Nope. George.” Pietro cringed at the ugly and quite different name. “But I convinced her to name you Pietro. Apparently she didn’t like the way it sounded and has called you Peter since then. Anyways, it was the night I was with her when I saw Sebastian Shaw walking on the streets. I wanted to keep your mother, as well as you, away from him...so I left that night. He was a dangerous mutant and would’ve loved to see me suffer even more, which he would’ve achieved if he killed her, but more importantly, you. I left you two so he couldn’t make any assumptions that we were together in any form.”  
Pietro, who finally processed Erik’s tragic tale, let out a long sigh. “Wow… I-I’m really sorry, man. About everything.”  
“You have nothing to apologize for, Pietro. You are not responsible for my past, so you have no reason to apologize.” He gently gripped Pietro’s chin and turned his face forward so that they were meeting eye to eye. “The reason I’m telling you all of this is because I know that feeling of powerlessness when it comes to protecting the ones you love. We believe that we can save anyone if we just put our minds and energy to it. But sometimes life doesn’t let us become the hero. Anya’s death, just like your family’s, was out of my control. And although that does not numb to pain and guilt I feel every day, it does remind me that I’m not all powerful and that I don’t have total control over life and its inhabitants.”  
Pietro nodded, taking in Erik’s heartfelt stories and words of wisdom. After a few seconds of silence, he couldn’t help but smile.  
“I guess we’re not so different after all,” he said with a tired smile.  
Erik let go of Pietro’s chin and smiled back. “No… I guess we’re not.” It was only then that he saw the exhaustion in Pietro’s eyes. “Come on, it’s time for bed. You need your rest.”  
Pietro, who was now beginning to drift in and out of consciousness, nodded his head without really hearing Erik’s words. He let Erik pull him into a standing position, weakly shaking off the black dots that began to swim across his vision. And then, with Erik’s help, he began to walk out of the bathroom and towards the comfortable bed. Unfortunately, Pietro could feel his body quickly shutting down and he began to sway back and forth on his feet.  
“E-Erik?” he weakly mumbled.  
“Yes?” Erik responded while gently nudging his son towards the bed.  
“I miss them so much.”  
Before Erik could respond, Pietro promptly passed out from exhaustion, alcohol, and shock. Before he could hit the ground, Erik managed to catch and carefully scoop the limp body into his arms. Thankfully, while Pietro was still conscious, they covered a lot of ground, so Erik didn’t have much of a journey to the bed. As he moved closer, Erik couldn’t help but smile when Pietro’s head lolled onto his shoulder, his face buried in the crook of his neck. When he finally reached the bed, he gently lowered his charge onto the soft mattress before stripping his son of his jacket, shoes, and vomit-smelling shirt. He then carefully pulled the comforter up to Pietro’s neck, tucking the sheets around him. Feeling sleep pull at his senses, Erik lazily walked over to the small coffee table in front of the fireplace and grabbed the small item he found inside Lorna’s nursery.

The small, purple stuffed bunny brought back too many memories, good and bad, that reminded him of Anya. She beamed with happiness and love whenever she was given it, and always carried it around wherever she went. Seeing it in Lorna’s nursery filled Erik’s heart with pain and nostalgia. Even when it was covered in blood, which was gone as soon as it was given a good wash back at the mansion during Pietro’s absence, and even in it’s old age, the toy still held that fresh and euphoric look.

Smiling, Erik walked back over to Pietro’s bedside and gently placed the toy beside his sleeping son. The smile on his face grew when he saw his son unconsciously shift in his sleep and sloppily wrap his arm around the small item. After staring down at his son for a few moments, Erik ran a gentle hand through his son’s silver hair. The toy resting beside his child brought back painful memories of a time he when he was happy. Genuinely happy.

“I know,” he whispered aloud, “I miss them too.”

 **(April 4, 1983. 11:00 AM)  
** With a moan of disgust, Pietro flung his arm over his eyes in a vain attempt to block the sunlight that entered through the cracks of the curtains. Although the throbbing in his head didn’t die down, the silver-haired mutant forced himself to sit up and inspect his surroundings.  
The first thought that raced through his mind was that someone had tucked him into bed. That, and the fact that someone had taken off his jacket and shirt. Soon enough, the strong odor of vomit reached Pietro’s nostrils, making him gag. Once the wave of nausea passed, he looked around the room only to see a certain telepath sitting beside his bedside. Pietro jumped out of surprise.  
“Jesus Christ, Pro-”  
“Shhh,” Charles quietly shush while pointing to the couch resting in front of the fireplace a few feet away.  
Pietro squinted his eyes and realized that ginger hair was resting on top of the arm of the couch. Beneath the thick blanket that covered the form, an even rise and fall of a chest could be seen.  
“Erik?”  
Charles nodded. “Do you remember anything that happened last night?” he asked while handing Pietro a glass of water.  
As Pietro downed the water, memories of the events that transpired yesterday flashed before his eyes, nearly making him drop the glass.  
“Jeez man, I’m sorry about what happened last night. Sorry I yelled at you all and-”  
Charles raised a hand to silence the younger mutant. “You have absolutely nothing to apologize for, my friend. You’ve been through a terrible ordeal and we all completely understand your behavior. Plus, I think Alex found it rather amusing to see you on a drunken rampage.” Charles patted Pietro’s bicep. “We all care about you and just want you to recover on your own terms. We’ll completely understand if you’ll want some privacy today.”  
“Thanks Charles,” Pietro said with a genuine smile. “So I’m guessing you heard my conversation with Erik in the bathroom right before I blacked out?”  
“Indeed I did.”  
“... Was Erik lying? Magda, Anya, Shaw, his reason for leaving me -- was all of that a lie?”  
Charles stared at his friend for a few moments before replying with a sad sigh, “No, my friend, he was not lying at all. You’re not so different, you and him.”  
Pietro snorted. “I guess we’re not.”  
After a few moments, Charles took the glass from Pietro and began to wheel himself away from the bed. “Hank has some fantastic painkillers following a hangover. Trust me on that. If you want, I can get him to drop them off to your room.”  
“Thanks Professor. I really mean it.”  
Charles smiled in appreciation before wheeling himself out of Pietro’s room, adjusting Erik’s blanket in the process.

Alone with a sleeping Erik, Pietro laid back down and stared at the ceiling, trying to figure out how he’d spend his first day without his family. Without Lorna. It was only when he thought about his baby sister when, out of the corner of his eye, he saw a familiar stuffed bunny resting next to him. Staring at the toy and the memories that came with it, he felt tears begin to burn his eyes once again. However, a soft groan caught his attention. He looked up and saw Erik shifting in his sleep. It was then when Pietro realized that Erik must’ve been the one who found Lorna’s toy and brought it over here. It was Erik who helped him into bed and cleaned him up. It was Erik who, for the first time in Pietro’s entire life, made him feel like he had a father. A real father. A sad smile found its way onto Pietro’s face.  
  
Recovery won’t be easy. It won’t be fun. And it especially won’t numb the phantom pain within Pietro’s heart. But he had his friends back here, friend who actually cared for him and who could sympathize with his struggles. He had Charles, who has begun to act as a mentor figure. He had Erik, whose similarities would guide him during moments of uncertainty and anguish.

He had everyone here, who would remind him that he was not alone. He would never be alone. It won't erase the pain or memories... but it's a start.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's one more addition to this 'X-Men: Apocalypse' that didn't make it at all :) If I have the time, I will publish that as well! It's WAY more fluffier and happier than this lol I promise!
> 
> Also, I'm nearly done with chapters from 'While You Were Gone' and 'Rise of Apocalypse'. I'll try to publish them soon :D College has been taking up a lot of my time and I have rarely had a moment to myself to write :/
> 
> Questions/Comments/Concerns/Insults/Thoughts of love??? Please feel free to write them below! I always enjoy reading them :D
> 
> Take Care and Party Hard,  
> \- RogersBz14 :0)


	43. *Bonus Chapter :)* Coffee

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all :0)
> 
> Here's that bonus chapter I wanted to post for a while!! I looked over the copy I had on my hard drive and I cringed :/ So, after a few re-writes and edits, here we are now :D It takes place between Chapter 16 (titled Ch.15) and Chapter 17 (titled Ch.16)!
> 
> Warning: Grammatical/Spelling errors and possibly slight OOC-ness!!
> 
> I hope you enjoy!!!

**(June 28, 1983. 12:55 PM)  
** “Whatcha doing, Erik?”  
The metal-bender, who was originally sitting by himself on top of the satellite dish, jumped at the voice he’s become all too familiar with. “Just enjoying the breathtaking view.”  
Pietro, who scaled the tall dish in under a minute, sped up to Erik’s side and plopped down beside the elder man, his feet dangling from the platform. As the silver-haired mutant took in the beautiful scenery, Erik followed his son’s gaze and continued his musing.

For the past several weeks, he and Charles -- as well as Hank, Alex, Pietro, and even Logan -- trained their new recruits in using and controlling their abilities. Erik had always told his old friend that all mutants, no matter their age or omega level, had potential. And while Charles could not agree with Erik more, he often resided to using more spiritual methods of aiding his “students” in their journey of self-discovery and satisfaction. While Erik often substituted discouragement with confidence and pride, Charles balanced out potential arrogance with humbleness and modesty. However, despite their different approaches, both mentors had one common goal: to make their students and friends better than the two of them combined. Throughout their friendship, Erik and Charles often found themselves helpless when one of them disappeared from their lives, prompting them to travel down a much darker, unmoralistic path. However, when the two came together, they instantly balanced each other out, creating an unstoppable team. They wanted to teach the students how to contain bits of themselves while also not heavily relying on one side or the other. They wanted their students to find a balance that would last with them through even their most darkest moments. They just wanted their students to not make the same mistakes as those two have done in the past.

Erik was proud of each and every student, as was Charles. However, his feelings of pride were often followed by fear and uncertainty. He had no idea just how powerful Apocalypse truly was, and the thought of the mutant destroying everything that he and Charles had worked so hard to create worried him. These students -- as talented, bright, intelligent, and strong as they were -- were still kids in the end. They are kids who have yet to experience the true beauty life has to offer. Instead of playing in parks or watching movies, they were thrown into a world of war, destruction, and devastation. Just the thought of what these kids had yet to experience continued to fuel Erik’s uncertainty. He just didn’t want these children, particularly his own son, to miss out of what the world had to offer… after all, Anya’s life had been cut short and to this day, Erik wishes that she was alive so she could continue to experience life.

It was only when he moved to Anya that he forced himself to talk about something else. Anything else that would stop him from drowning in regret and sadness.

“What brings you up here, Pietro?”  
“Can’t a guy just enjoy the view? What were you thinking about?”  
“Nothing that concerns you.”  
“Aww, come on, man. You know I won’t judge your thoughts, no matter how erotic or kinky they may be.”  
“What on Earth are you going on about?”  
“Wait… were you not thinking about Charles?”  
“Heavens no!”  
“Oh… well… nevermind then.” A long pause. “Seriously, what were you thinking about? I can see that it was something important, so you might as well tell me. Like I said, I won’t judge.”  
Erik sighed. “If you must know, I was thinking about Anya.”  
Pietro’s eyes softened in sympathy. “Oh. Why were you thinking about her?” he cautiously asked.  
“She would’ve loved this view. As would Magda.”  
“Well I mean, who wouldn’t love this view?” A pregnant pause. “What was she like?”  
“Who?”  
“Magda. Considering that she’s technically my mother, I still don’t know a lot about her and I haven’t heard you talk about her that much.”  
Erik sighed, his mind reminiscent, before turning to his son. “She was beautiful. She spoke with such grace and heart, it was hard not to be captivated by her words alone. Her unquenchable thirst for knowledge was outstanding -- I could have read to her an entire book about human evolution, and she would soak up all of the information like a sponge. She was gentle and kind, but also possessed strength -- both verbal and physical. Her heart was big, as was her mind. However, what made her spectacular was her ability to take the pain she endured in the camps and turn it into… kindness… and beauty. She didn’t let the Nazi’s inhumane and uncivilzed treatment drive her into a path of vengeance and darkness. Like Charles, she never let the arrogance of a species bring her spirits down. She never dwelled on the torment or suffering. She turned pessimism into hope, hatred into peace, death into life. Out of all of the chaos and suffering, she made Anya -- pure, innocent, beautiful Anya. It was like turning air into gold… a miracle.”  
Pietro, who was attentively taking his father’s words in, smiled. “She sounds amazing. I can see why you love her so much.”  
“You would have loved her… and I know that she would have loved you too.”  
“She abandoned me, Erik. Call me crazy, but usually that’s the farthest sign of acceptance and love. You told me that she left you because of your mutation. She must’ve left me too, knowing that was I mutant and-”  
“No… she would not have left you. If she were alive today, she wouldn’t see an arrogant monster hell bent on inflicting pain to those who have hurt him. She would have seen an independent man who, despite his hyperactive nature, has a moral compass. She would have seen someone far different from myself.”  
“You’re being too hard on yourself, man. You can be an asshole, but you’re not a monster. Based on what you told me, Shaw is a real monster, as is this big baddie we’re training ourselves to fight against. You’re far from a monster.” Erik wasn’t convinced. “Plus… Anya wasn’t created just by Magda’s willpower alone. She had help,” he continued, nudging Erik with his elbow. “If you’re the monster you see yourself as, then Anya wouldn’t be this beautiful, eloquent girl you see her as. It’s a joint-effort, Erik. You couldn’t have created Anya without Magda, and she couldn’t have created Anya without you. She had a little bit of both of you in her.” A beat. “Jesus, did I really have to explain to a sixty year old man sex education?”  
“I’m only forty-”  
“Wow, wait until I tell Alex thi-”  
“Thank you, Pietro,” Erik cut off. “Your words are appreciated.”  
Pietro smiled. “No problem, man. Happy to cheer you up.”  
After a few moments of silence, Erik reached into his coat pocket and took out a small thermostat. Pietro instantly noticed the silver object and began to investigate.  
“What is that? It smells really good. Does it taste as good as it smells? It smells like coco, pastries, and heaven. It smells like-”  
“Calm down, Pietro,” Erik gently silenced. “It’s just coffee.”  
Pietro’s dark eyes widened. “Coffee? Can I have some?”  
“I’m not entirely sure that is a good idea. Considering that your already exuberant nature, I’m not so sure I want to see what you’ll be when fueled by caffeine.”  
“Awwwww! Come on, Erik! Please?”  
“No.”  
“Please?!” At this point, Pietro was sitting on his knees, scooting closer and closer towards Erik.  
“Pietro, you’re acting very-”  
“Pleeeeaaasssseee?”  
Erik pinched the bridge of his nose in order to tame a small headache that was beginning to form. “If I let you have one sip, will you promise to stop begging like an unevolved child?” Pietro nodded his head a little too quickly. “Alright, here you-”  
Before Erik could finish, Pietro had already snatched the thermostat out of Erik’s callused hands and took a mighty sip.

In about one second, Pietro’s world changed completely: the chirping of bird was silenced by the thunderous beating of his own heart, whose rate has now accelerated at unimaginable levels. The gentle Spring breeze was replaced with his own erratic breaths. Pietro could hear his bangs growing, he could feel his entire body shaking with newfound adrenaline, and he could see little specks of dust that would have normally gone unnoticed by the naked eye. Pietro's abilities and senses were amplified... and he loved it! He wondered if he could-  
“Pietro?” Erik asked. “Are you okay?”  
“I’m fine.” He began to tap his fingers on the metal item, each tap getting faster and faster.  
“Are you sure?”  
Suddenly, the younger mutant gulped the entire thermostat in less than a second, his tongue frantically trying to pick up any small drops of coffee left. When Pietro finally met Erik’s eyes, the metal-bender could see just how dilated his pupils were.  
“Pietro, why don’t you-”  
“I need more.”  
“What? Absolutely not, Pie-”  
The runner was already down from the satellite and speeding towards the Xavier mansion. Normally, whenever Pietro ran at his full speed, a sliver of silver and gust of wind would be everyone’s indication that Pietro was either coming or had already stopped by. This time, now fueled by caffeine, Erik could see dirt and grass being tossed aside as the mutant ran with all of his speed. As Pietro ran, Erik could make out a trail of turned over grass, dirt, and rocks in his wake.  
“Uh oh.”  
From the distance, Erik swore he heard a loud crashing sound coming from the kitchen.

Charles Xavier, Hank McCoy, and Alex Summers were all sitting in the kitchen, enjoying some lunch. They were reminiscing about their time before The Vietnam War broke out, when they were all carefree and young. Their conversation was interrupted by an enormous crash that shook the entire foundation. When they all jumped in surprised, they turned and saw a barely noticeable silver line running from one part of the room to another, leaving trash, dirt, and belongings in his wake. And then, just like that, Pietro was suddenly in front of them, goggles over his eyes, making himself a big cup of coffee. By the time Charles opened his mouth to ask what the hell was going on, Pietro had already inhaled about ten cups.  
“Pietro?! What on earth is-”  
“Heyprofessorlongtimenoseedidyouknowthatthereareonehundredand ninetyfivecobwebsinthismansionyoushouldreallygetthatcheckedoutactuallyIcancleanthemallupforyouwellmaybeIdidalreadyandIjustdidn’trealizeitspeakingofrealizeIjustrealizedhowamazingcoffeeiswheredoescoffeecomefromwheredidErikevengetthiskindofcoffeeittastslikevanillaandchoclatewithahintofpepermintmanohmanIwantmorenowmaybethistimeI’lladdsomesugar!”  
While Pietro served himself what would’ve been his now twentieth cup (apparently he drank nine more cups as he was talking), the three older mutants stared at him in confusion.  
“Pete, are you okay?” Alex asked.  
“Greatneverbetteryoushoulddyeyourhairbrownyou’dlookcoolasabrunettebutdon’tdyeitsilverthat’smything.”  
“Peter, none of us can understand you,” Hank added. “Just take it slow and-”  
“Iamtakingitslowyoujustneedtopickupthepace!”  
“Pietro, when did you even begin to drink coffee?”  
“WhenErikgavemeasiponthesatelitedish.”  
“Erik gave you some?”  
“Yeahhe’sagreatguydidyouknowthathehasroughlythirtywrinklesonthesideofhisheadaloneheshouldstopsmokingalsohisteetharemassivehe’slikeashark!”  
By now, Pietro was tapping his foot at such a high speed that he was damaging the floorboards. “Pietro, I need you to calm down and-”  
“YouknowwhatI’mgoingtocleanupallofthosespiderwebsandtrytowipeoffthetwentyhandprintsonthewindowwhoknowsmaybeI’llevenbeabletocleanuptheentireDangerRoomwhileI’matit.”  
“Pietro-”  
“Let’sdothis!!!”  
Pietro was gone before anyone could speak. The three other mutants all looked at each other before running off in the same direction, using the trail of wreckage as their map.

When they made their way to the front foyer, they briefly saw a silver line rush right past them. Before any of them could follow, a pain-filled moan could be heard. Charles snapped his head over to one of the walls and saw Erik gingerly trying to free himself from the Erik-shaped hole in the wall.  
“Bloody hell, Erik.”  
The mutants made their way over to the metal-bender and helped him back onto his feet. Erik gently reached for the back of his head and felt a large lump resting there. Definitely a concussion. Great. He looked back to his friends and smiled.  
“I think I may have made a mistake.”  
“I don’t know, man, it’s actually kind of fun to see Pete running around like The Road Runner.”  
“We’ll see if your opinion changes when you’re helping us clean all of this mess,” Charles replied before turning back to Erik. “What were you thinking? He’s already energetic as it is!”  
“The boy and I were talking on the satellite dish and-” A loud crash upstairs, followed by an even louder apology. “-and I had some coffee. I let him have a sip and before I knew it, he gulped the whole thing down.”  
Suddenly, Pietro appeared beside the group, an entire bowl of coffee perfectly balanced in his shaky arms.  
“Pietro, you honestly can’t tell me that you intend to drink all of that!”  
“Of course not, old man!”  
Pietro stared at the bowl he made himself for a few seconds before hastily gulping down the entire bowl. By the time Erik snatched the item away, it was completely empty and Pietro was long gone.  
“Is there anyway you can stop him?” Erik asked to Charles.  
“I can’t even access his mind, my friend. I guess we’ll just have to wait it out.”  
The doors in the main entrance opened and Logan appeared at the doorway, cigar in hand. “Thank heavens,” Charles cried out. “Logan, we need your help cleaning up this place!”  
Before the other man could ask why, another loud boom could be heard, shaking the entire mansion once again. Wordlessly, Logan shut the door and drove away, much to everyone’s annoyance. Hands behind their backs, the remainder of the group began to clean up the damaged inflicted by a caffeine-fueled mutant. As they did so, they occasionally looked over their shoulders in the hopes not to be plowed by Pietro.

 **(June 28, 1983. 06:45 PM)  
** A few hours and a couple of beers -- or in Charles’ case, cups of tea --  later, a bit of the mansion had been cleaned up. Pietro, much to everyone’s worry, disappeared and hasn’t been seen since. It was at this point when Erik began to regret giving his son coffee. To be honest, he didn’t really know why he even gave it to Pietro in the first place. He knew the repercussion yet still felt like it would be appropriate. Charles could sense Erik’s guilt and placed a comforting hand on his friend’s shoulder.  
“You probably just wanted your son to have some fun.”  
“Still… what if he doesn’t come back? What if he’s passed out somewhere? He’s exposed, vulnerable to unevolved insects and-”  
“As soon as I can reach his mind, we will look for him.”  
Erik only shook his head before kneeling down beside the splintered floorboard in the kitchen. As soon as he lifted the hammer, he felt a rush of wind move past him and before he knew it, the entire floorboard was not only fixed, but also in pristine condition. He stood up and looked at Charles, who was staring at the floorboard in awe.  
“Charles?”  
“It wasn’t me.”  
Soon enough, they heard Hank calling for them from his lab. When they arrived, the entire facility was ultraclean and neatly organized to Hank’s pleasure.  
“Exceptional job, Hank, although I would prefer that you call us if you have an emergency rather than-”  
“Erik, I didn’t do any of this. I turned my back for one second in order to evaluate the serum you guys collected at Providence, and before I knew it…”  
“Guys,” Alex called from the living room, “come here!!!”

When the trio met up with Alex, they were greeted by a comical sight. Pietro, whose adrenaline must have finally shut off, was lying right in the center of the massive carpet. The entire living room was spotless -- every piece of trash, dust, mold, and dirt gone. Alex was kneeling beside his friend, unsure what to do next.  
“I was cleaning this place up. Next thing I knew the entire place is spick and span, and Pete’s passed out on the floor.” Erik knelt down beside his son. “I’ve tried to wake him up, but-”  
“He’s just sleeping off the effects,” Erik said with a smile.  
With Alex and Hank’s help, Erik managed to situate Pietro onto his back.  
“Well Pietro,” he gently mumbled to the sleeping mutant, “you told me that you’ve always wanted a piggy-back ride.”  
Once in position, Erik looked at his friends. “I’ve got this. You all get some rest.”  
“Are you sure?” Charles asked.  
“I’m positive.”  
Without waiting for another question, Erik walked towards Pietro’s room, which was now cleaned down to the last nail.

When he arrived, he carefully deposited his charge onto the bed. He gently took off his son’s goggles, jacket, shoes, and socks before pulling the bedsheets up to Pietro’s shoulders. Erik stared at his son before tenderly swiping some hair from his son’s closed eyes. He then found himself sitting beside his son’s bedside, gently and rhythmically stroking his son’s hair. Despite being deeply unconscious, Pietro leaned into Erik’s touch, smacking a warm smile on the older mutant’s face. He savored hearing his son’s even breaths. He took comfort in feeling warmth radiating off of Pietro. He relished seeing his son, after everything he’s been through, in a state of peace and serenity.  
“The reason I needed Magda so much was because she grounded me. She was the better half of me… just like yourself. Don’t ever change, my little lion. I won’t be able to survive without my better half.”  
After a few more minutes, Erik tore himself away from Pietro’s bedside and walked towards the kitchen, desperately needing a cup of coffee… if there was any left, that is.

 **(July 1, 1983. 11:15 AM)  
** Pietro hadn’t woken up in three days, officially fueling Erik’s anxiety. Although he would never admit out loud, he often found himself worrying over his son’s refusal to return to the land of the living. The only person who truly understood Erik’s state was Charles. The telepath didn’t even need to use his powers: he could read Erik like a book by now. He knew just how important family was to him, so it did not come as a shock when Erik began to hover around Pietro’s bedside, checking on his son every hour.

Eventually, Pietro finally came to. It was when Erik was eating a late breakfast that he saw Pietro stumble into the room. His silver hair was all over the place, giving him a mad-scientist look. His eyes still held sleep in them, but at least this time they weren't darting from one thing to the next like a paranoid schizophrenic. The younger mutant lazily rubbed his hand through his hair before plopping down across from Erik. The metal-bender hid his relief and happiness with a spoonful of cereal.

“Good morning, Pietro.”  
“Morning. Did I miss anything?”  
Erik shrugged his shoulders. “Nothing in particular. What’s the last thing you remember?”  
Pietro closed his eyes, trying to conjured up his most recent memories while also trying to soften a massive headache. “I remember… talking about Magda and then waking up in bed. Why was I out for three days? Did something happen?”  
“Like I said, you didn’t miss a thing. Clean yourself up.”  
Pietro looked down at his wrinkled clothes before nodding. “Good idea.” Before he stumbled away, the runner made his way to the cabinet, intending to find some coffee.  
“What gives, man? Where’s the coffee?”  
“Charles and I took the liberty of ridding the entire facility of coffee, soda, or any sugar-filled drink.” Pietro looked like a kicked puppy. “Trust us, it’s for the best.”  
“What am I supposed to drink now?”  
Erik wordlessly reached into his coat pocket and tossed his son- “Tea? Are you serious?”  
“It’ll get you energized without creating an earthquake.”  
Pietro stared at the tea bag before fixing himself a cup. Once he took a sip, he gave Erik an unreadable look.  
“Do you not like it?”  
“It tastes… weird. But hey, all part of life right? Trying something new out?”

It was a part of life. Like Erik remembered, he wished Anya were still alive so she could see everything that the world and its inhabitants had to bring. But now, watching his son drinking a much safer drink stirred something inside Erik. Pietro’s brush with coffee was a new experience for both of them. Hell, being a family was especially new for them. Both men opened so many doors for each other, each one of them leading to new discoveries and memories. Maybe that’s the true reason why he needed Pietro in his life: his son helped him see things in a different light. He helped Erik live again.

As Pietro walked back towards his room, saying goodbye to Erik in the process, he could still feel Erik’s gentle hand running itself through his silver hair, each stroke gentler than the previous one. Although Erik did not know this, Pietro needed Erik just as much not because of the whole experiencing life bit, but for another reason. Erik made him feel safe. He made him feel important. And, most importantly, he made him feel loved. He couldn’t lose those feelings again. He just wouldn’t survive without them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think this is the final update for this story :D I have plenty more alternative chapters, but I don't think I'll add them. It would just end up being confusing.  
> I actually took the line, "It's like turning air into gold... a miracle" from Watchmen, a graphic novel that came out in 1986(?). I wish I was creative enough to write something that romantic and touching lol
> 
> I will update "While You Were Gone" tomorrow or Sunday :D I've been very busy with academics and haven't found enough time to write :/ Sorry about that.
> 
> For those of you who have followed this story since the beginning or who have just stumbled upon this, I'd like to say "Thank you!!" All of your comments, kudos, bookmarks, and views really mean the world to me!! This story was so much fun to write and reading your thoughts made this process even funner :D
> 
> Questions/Comments/Concerns/Insults/Thoughts of love?? Feel free to write them down in the comments :)
> 
> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING :D
> 
> Take Care and Party Hard!  
> -RogersBz14 :0)


	44. Author's Note *PLEASE READ :) *

Hello X-Men fans :D

It's been a while :) I apologize for the lack of updates!! I just moved back home and have been trying to get back into the swing of things. I have the final chapter for _Nothing Left_ , as well as an additional one for _X-Men: The Rise of Apocalypse_! I hope to update BOTH stories by the end of this weekend :0)

The reason I'm writing this is because of the following things (which I would LOVE your feedback on):

1.) I found **one** extra chapter for this story that was hidden on my mess of a desktop. It's kind of short, but it gives the horsemen more depth and character development. The consciousness of their "meat suits" is constantly clashing with their own mindsets, so the chapter that I have goes more in depth about the conflict War (Pietro) and Pestilence (Logan) are feeling. I'm hoping to post it by the time _X-Men: Apocalypse_ comes out.

2.)I'm considering completely re-writing _While You Were Gone_. I completely mis-characterized everyone and neglected the previous characters (Dallas, Doreen, Layla, etc.). While the main plot will be similar (Gambit, Pietro and Weapon X, Sinister and his subjects, Wanda and Erik, etc.), I'm going to re-write the dialogues and action pieces. What do you think?

3.) THIS IS IMPORTANT: Last night, I had a dream that during _First Class_ , Erik ran into Peter, who was 6 at the time. They bonded at the mansion, but, unfortunately, Erik had to send Peter back home due to the dangers his life brings, as well as the upcoming confrontation between him and Shaw at Cuba. And then...ten years later, they ran into each other at the Pentagon and continued to bond, although their relationship was a bit more strained than the first time. Finally, the dream concluded with Erik recruiting Peter to fight alongside him against Apocalypse, while they both learned about their pasts and relationship. SOOO, I was wondering if anyone wanted to see this story come to life. I have all of the events down, and I'd be more than happy to write it. I actually like this idea :) That said, I don't want to overstay my welcome and confuse people with all of my dadneto stories :/ So, what do you think?

 

Thank you for all of your patience and support!! It means the world to me, and I hope to hear from you all soon :D

Take Care and Party Hard :0)

-RogersBz14

 

P.S: What do you think about the reviews for X-Men: Apocalypse. To be honest, I had doubts about this movie, and the reviews kind of confirmed that the movie isn't as fantastic as _X-Men: First Class_ and _X-Men: Days of Future Past._


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